Your life in Bristol County, Rhode Island

What stands out

Against every county in America, Bristol County is unusual in three ways: the uninsured rate is among the lowest in America (2.8%), the school test score is among the highest in America (3.66 where 3.0 is grade level), and the median household income is in the top 2% of American counties ($105,875). Within Rhode Island it ranks 1st of 5 counties for the uninsured rate, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Bristol County, Rhode Island. 50,658 people live here with you. The population held steady at 0.1% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +164).

Rhode Island has a graduated income tax reaching 5.99%, an estate tax with an exemption below $2 million, and taxes Social Security above income thresholds. The whole state is within an hour's drive, and Providence commuters reach Boston by train in under an hour. Home prices rose faster than most of New England after 2020; coastal flood exposure is significant.

Money

The typical household here brings in $105,875 a year, higher than 98% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $58,617. Unemployment runs 2.6%, lower than 80% of American counties. 11% of workers work from home.

Rhode Island takes 4.0% of that median income in state income tax, about $4,209 a year.

Home

The median home costs $654K, pricier than 97% of American counties, about 3.3 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $1,439 a month. Property tax is 1.44% of home value, roughly $6,403 a year on that median home, higher than 83% of American counties. 73% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 2.9 per 1,000 residents, lower than 96% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 20 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 80.6 years, longer than 94% of American counties. There are 350 active physicians in the county, about 69.1 per 10,000 people. 2.8% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.73 where 3.0 is national grade level, higher than almost every county in America. 93% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Democratic by 28 points. 74% of eligible voters turned out. Under Rhode Island law you need local approval to carry a concealed handgun, abortion is protected by state law, and marijuana is legal for adults.

Weather and risk

The year averages 52°F, highs near 61 and lows near 44, colder than 65% of American counties. About 46 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 41 out of 100, safer than 59% of American counties; the county has had 20 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 287 Mbps down, faster than 92% of American counties. For a night or a weekend out: 1.3 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 1 brewery, 3 museums.

Where these numbers come from

• BLS QCEW 2024
• CDC 2024
• CMS 2024
• Census 2023
• Census ACS
• Census ACS 2022
• Census Population Estimates 2023
• Census SAHIE 2024
• County Health Rankings 2024
• Derived from ACS 2022 home value / household income
• FAA Airport Database
• FEMA Disaster Declarations 1953–2026
• FEMA National Risk Index 2023 (0–100, all hazards)
• HRSA Area Health Resources File 2023
• IMLS
• NOAA Climate Normals
• National Park Service
• Ookla Speedtest Intelligence
• Open Brewery DB
• OpenElections 2024
• SEDA via County Health Rankings 2024 (3.0 = at grade level; not a Z-score)
• Tax Foundation 2023
• USDA Food Environment Atlas
• Zillow ZHVI 2024
• Rhode Island tax and law data: state revenue department, Tax Foundation, Giffords, Guttmacher (2026)

Percentiles compare this county with every other county that reports the same figure. Missing figures are left out rather than guessed. Share this page: the address is permanent.