Bristol, CT — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Connecticut·Bristol

Hartford County · Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown · population 62,195

Investors

Image: Wikipedia · Bristol, Connecticut

Overview Cost of living Moving guide

View watchlist →

Hot

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Bristol stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 5.3% in the last year. averaging 8.7% annual growth over 5 years. rents up 6.0% in the last year.

Median home $341,547

1-year +5.3%

5-yr CAGR +8.7%

vs 5-yr peak +0.0%

Population +0.6%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

🚶

Walkability

40/100

Car-dependent

Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.

🚉

Public transit

22/100

Transit limited

Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.

💻

Remote work fit

81/100

Excellent for remote work

Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 17.8

Lean buy

At a 17.8 price-to-rent ratio, Bristol is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →

Home YoY

76 · w22%

Home 5-yr CAGR

82 · w22%

Distance from peak

90 · w18%

Population growth

56 · w16%

Rent YoY

85 · w12%

Home 10-yr CAGR

75 · w10%

Long thesis

Bristol has averaged 8.7% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+5.3% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Bristol's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Bristol

Bristol is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, with an estimated population of 62,195. It anchors the Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown metro area. The population grew 0.6% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Bristol is $341,547 as of 2026-04, up 5.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +8.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Bristol average $1,595 per month, up 6.0% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 78 of 100 (Hot). Buyers should expect competition and limited negotiation room in this market.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 8.7% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.

●Quiet strength: +5.3% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.

●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

●Hot rental market: rents up 6.0% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Bristol (Wikipedia)

Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, 20 miles (32 km) southwest-west of Hartford. The city is also 120 miles southwest from Boston, and approximately 100 miles northeast of New York City. The city is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 60,833.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorEllen Zoppo-Sassu (D)

Area26.81 sq mi

Elevation420 ft

Incorporated (Town)1785

Density2270.20/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

Expect competition, escalation clauses, and pressure to waive inspections. Make your strongest offer up front — Hot markets reward decisiveness, not negotiation. If you can't write a clean offer, you may not be the best fit for this market right now.

Seller

Price slightly above recent comps and let multiple offers work. Days-on-market should be short. Don't accept the first offer in the first 48 hours unless it's significantly above ask.

Investor

Cap rates are still workable thanks to a reasonable price-to-rent ratio. Buy-and-hold math works if the trend continues; underwrite a moderate slowdown to be safe.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Hartford County right now.

NWS active alerts (CT)Connecticut Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Hartford County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Bristol

New Britain, CT76 · Rising Meriden, CT73 · Rising Bridgeport, CT75 · Rising Middletown, CT70 · Rising

Run the numbers for Bristol

ToolCan I afford Bristol?Income → city shortlist ToolROI on a Bristol rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR ToolCompare Bristol to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 cities ToolBristol cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)

36° / 22°

avg high / low

Summer (Jul)

83° / 64°

avg high / low

Sunny days/yr

194

~53% of year

Annual precip

49″ rain

37″ snow

Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)

Hurricane

Moderate

Tornado

Very low

Wildfire

Very low

Earthquake

Very low

Flood

Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Bristol listings on the major real-estate sites.

For rent

Zillow rentals → Apartments.com → Trulia rentals →

For sale

Zillow for sale → Realtor.com →

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Latest news

JLL Arranges $27.9 Million in Financing for Grocery-Anchored Shopping Center in Bristol, Connecticut
Shopping Center Business · 12h ago
Cities in Connecticut discuss purchasing cards after rising concerns of policies in place
fox61.com · just now
Bristol Public Schools announce early dismissal today amid excessive heat
The Bristol Edition · 1d ago
299 Park St Apt A2, Bristol, CT 06010
Realtor.com · 3d ago
Andre Morin Obituary (2026) – Bristol, CT – The Bristol Press
Legacy · 1d ago
Bristol-Based Company To Close, Mass Layoffs Announced
Patch · 2w ago

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

NFLNew York Giants →New York Jets →

NBANew York Knicks →Brooklyn Nets →

MLBNew York Yankees →New York Mets →

NHLNew York Rangers →New York Islanders →New Jersey Devils →

Local economy & environment

Humidity

70%

Humid climate

Median household income

$90,200

Connecticut state median

Top industries (state-level)

Finance/InsuranceManufacturingHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.