Housing decision brief
Bristol city, VA Housing Market
Bristol city screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
32nd lowest home value out of 133 Virginia counties with data | 21st lowest rent out of 133
Median home value
$168,700
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$775/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$879/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.8x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
27.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$104/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$168,700 median home value is 30% below Virginia county median
Lower rent
$775/mo is 26% below Virginia county median
Rent burden below pressure line
27.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 91.4 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$44,706 median income is 33% below Virginia county median
Tax rate needs attention
0.77% effective property-tax rate is 22% above Virginia county median
Health context
Health score is 37.5 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Bristol city is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $168,700 | $240,900 | $281,900 | 30% favorable30% below Virginia county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $775 | $1,043 | $1,163 | 26% favorable26% below Virginia county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $879 | $978 | $1,672 | 10% favorable10% below Virginia county median |
Median household income | $44,706 | $66,718 | $74,755 | 33% pressure33% below Virginia county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.77% | 0.63% | 1.02% | 22% pressure22% above Virginia county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 27.00% | 28.00% | N/A | Near state median27.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$13,706
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$7,035
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Bristol city offers affordable rental housing at a median of $775/month , about 20.8% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
Renters in Bristol city pay $775/month on average, compared to $879/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 12%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $31,000/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $37,671/year. With a median household income of $44,706, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 27.0% of renter households in Bristol city are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Virginia, Bristol city is less affordable than Floyd County by roughly 6% ($775/mo vs $826/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County, VA | $169,400 | $804/mo | Same-state comparison near $169,400 home value and $804/mo rent. |
| Halifax County, VA | $148,900 | $769/mo | Same-state comparison near $148,900 home value and $769/mo rent. |
| Wythe County, VA | $172,100 | $718/mo | Same-state comparison near $172,100 home value and $718/mo rent. |
| Patrick County, VA | $146,500 | $721/mo | Same-state comparison near $146,500 home value and $721/mo rent. |
| Lunenburg County, VA | $145,500 | $780/mo | Same-state comparison near $145,500 home value and $780/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Bristol city
Is Bristol city affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Bristol city?
How much income do you need for housing in Bristol city?
What should I double-check before moving to Bristol city?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.