Bristol city, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Bristol city, Virginia had an estimated 16,316 residents on July 1, 2024, down 5.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,222, across 13 square miles. 533 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 21 7(a) approvals worth $8.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Bristol city
How many people live in Bristol city
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,849
- Households7,226
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$50,404
- Median age43.4
- Median gross rent$801 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$184,100
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over12,256
- Population under 183,305
- Share under 1819.6 percent
- Population 65 and over3,986
- Share 65 and over23.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,558
- Civilian labor force7,726
- Unemployment rate6.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.0 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia independent cities88th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2048th of 3,222
Bristol city is the 88th largest of 133 Virginia independent cities by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.7 percent against 19.6 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bristol city
Is Bristol city's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202416,316
- Census 2020 base population17,222
- Population change since the 2020 census base-5.26 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-352
- Births, 2024139
- Deaths, 2024350
- Natural change, 2024-211
- Net domestic migration, 2024-140
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 2024-138
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-208
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2997th of 3,144
The county has lost 5.26 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Bristol city
Where are people moving to Bristol city from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving681
- People arriving, from those returns1,199
- Tax returns filed by households leaving687
- Net household movement-6
- Adjusted gross income arriving$28.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$41,599
- Average income of a leaving household$43,349
- Largest single originSullivan County (164 households)
- Largest single destinationSullivan County (222 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan County | 164 | 288 | $5.4 m |
| Washington County | 161 | 306 | $6.7 m |
| Russell County | 28 | 41 | $1.3 m |
| Washington County | 25 | 39 | $1.1 m |
Households arriving report $1,750 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Sullivan County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Bristol city
Employment by industry in Bristol city
- Covered employment, annual average10,383
- Establishments reporting614
- Average annual pay$46,921
- Average weekly wage$902
- Manufacturing, employment1,590
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$56,101
- Retail trade, employment1,398
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,083
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,078
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$45,702
- Transportation and warehousing, employment591
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$49,966
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment302
- Finance and insurance, employment272
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,590 | 22 | $56,101 |
| Retail trade | 1,398 | 129 | $30,083 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,078 | 114 | $45,702 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 591 | 8 | $49,966 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 302 | 18 | $35,044 |
| Finance and insurance | 272 | 32 | $89,676 |
| Other services, except public administration | 232 | 38 | $37,268 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 187 | 36 | $38,855 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,590 jobs, 15.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bristol city
How many businesses are in Bristol city?
- Establishments, all industries533
- Employment at those establishments8,370
- Annual payroll$329.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents31.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bristol city
Building permits in Bristol city
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20245
- Declared construction value permitted$875,000
- Single family units authorized1
- Multifamily units authorized4
- Multifamily share of units80.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$175,000
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.7
Multifamily is 80.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bristol city
SBA loans in Bristol city (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded21
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$8.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$391,024
- Median 7(a) approval$260,000
- 10th percentile approval$100,000
- 90th percentile approval$679,000
- Largest single approval$1,819,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)267
- Jobs per approval12.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals16
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer47.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms10
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter11
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals9.5 percent
- Most active lenderThe First Bank and Trust Company (7)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.7 m
- Average 504 approval$2,360,000
- Median 504 approval$2,360,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval43.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved18.4
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$12.9 m
The average approval of $391,024 sits well above the median of $260,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. 47.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bristol city
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Bristol city
Do SBA loans in Bristol city get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure13
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Only 3 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bristol city
SBA lending by place in Bristol city
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Bristol, approvals20
- Mount Juliet, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol | 20 | $7,861,500 |
| Mount Juliet | 1 | $350,000 |
Bristol accounts for 20 approvals against 1 in Mount Juliet. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bristol city
How large is Bristol city?
- Land area13 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia independent cities114th of 133
- Width, east to west7.2 mi
- Height, north to south3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land1,296
- Establishments per square mile41.00
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bristol city
Flood risk in Bristol city
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Bristol, city ofParticipating, community 510022
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book1
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Bristol city, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, the City of Bristol (community 510022), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Bristol city in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Bristol city site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Bristol city site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,849
- Households7,226
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$50,404
- Median age43.4
Common questions
Bristol city questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bristol city, Virginia?
The Census Bureau estimates 16,316 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 16,849, in 7,226 households, ranking 88th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bristol city's population growing?
The population has fallen 5.26 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,222, to 16,316 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 139 births against 350 deaths, with net migration of -138. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bristol city?
$50,404. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $184,100, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $801 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Bristol city?
533 establishments, employing 8,370 people with an annual payroll of $329.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Bristol city?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,590 jobs, 15.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 10,383 jobs at an average annual pay of $46,921, or $902 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bristol city?
21 7(a) approvals totaling $8.2 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $260,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $4.7 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Bristol city?
5 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $875,000. Multifamily was 80.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bristol city?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Bristol city come from?
The largest single origin is Sullivan County, with 164 households. Arriving households report an average income of $41,599 against $43,349 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Bristol city on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Bristol city?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
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