Cost of Living in Bristol
Bristol runs genuinely affordable relative to the national average across every source reviewed, though the exact index varies -- BestPlaces cites figures ranging from 79.2 to 91 depending on the specific aggregator, both meaningfully below the national baseline of 100.
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Learn moreA real, if imprecisely quantified, affordability advantage
One BestPlaces-style figure cites a cost-of-living index of 79.2 (20.8% below the national average, 11.9% above the Tennessee state average); a separate aggregator instead cites 91 (9% below national, 14% above the state average). Both point the same direction -- Bristol runs below the national average but somewhat above the Tennessee state average -- even though the precise magnitude is disclosed as a real, unreconciled spread rather than one settled number.
Rent runs well below the national median
The median rent in Bristol is cited at $764/month, about 25.9% below the national average -- a real, meaningful affordability advantage for renters, though this single figure should be treated as directional rather than a substitute for pulling current listings for a specific unit type.
No state income tax, offset by a moderate combined sales tax
Tennessee levies no tax on wages or salaries at all (see the state record). Bristol's own combined sales tax is cited at 9.25% (7.00% state + 2.25% Sullivan County + 0% city add-on) -- notably lower than neighboring Kingsport's 9.5%-9.75% in the SAME county, because Kingsport levies its own city-level sales tax add-on and Bristol does not.
Median household income runs modestly above a mid-size East Tennessee city, disambiguated from a lower per-capita figure
Bristol's median HOUSEHOLD income is cited at $58,162 -- a separate $35,438 figure from the same search pass appears to reflect per-capita (individual) income rather than household income, and is disclosed here as disambiguated rather than a second conflicting household figure.
Key takeaways
- Bristol's cost-of-living index is cited between 79.2 and 91 depending on source -- a real, disclosed range, but both point below the national average of 100.
- Median rent is cited at $764/month, about 25.9% below the national average.
- Bristol's combined sales tax (9.25%) runs lower than neighboring Kingsport's (9.5%-9.75%) in the same county, because Bristol does not levy its own city-level sales tax add-on.
- Median household income ($58,162) should not be confused with a separately cited $35,438 per-capita figure from the same research pass.
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