Bristol County Demographics

A map of Bristol County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	44,588	44,671	88.3%	87.9%
Hispanic	2,108	1,943	4.2%	3.8%
Multiracial	1,857	1,913	3.7%	3.8%
Asian	1,308	1,279	2.6%	2.5%
Black	501	732	1.0%	1.4%
Native American/Other	128	255	0.3%	0.5%

Bristol County, Rhode Island has an estimated population of 50,490, a less than 1% change from the 50,793 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 88.3% White, 4.2% Hispanic, 3.7% Multiracial, 2.6% Asian, 1.0% Black, and 0.3% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Bristol County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Bristol has become slightly less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Rhode Island overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Bristol County, that probability was 22.3% in 2020 and 21.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Bristol County is ranked the 5th most populous county in Rhode Island, out of 5 counties. Bristol County was ranked the 5th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Bristol County's White Population

44,588 residents of Bristol County, or 88.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Bristol County is significantly higher than in Rhode Island overall, where 68% of the population is White. Bristol County ranks 2nd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 5 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bristol County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Bristol County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 88.3%.

Bristol County is more White than neighboring Bristol County (75.3% White), Newport County (82.4% White), Kent County (83.7% White), and Providence County (56.5% White). Bristol County is less White than neighboring Washington County (88.9% White).

Bristol County's Black Population

501 residents of Bristol County, or 1.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Bristol County is slightly lower than in Rhode Island overall, where 4.9% of the population is Black. Bristol County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 5 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bristol County's Black population has declined by an estimated 31.6%. Black residents' share of Bristol County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

Bristol County is less Black than neighboring Bristol County (4% Black), Newport County (3.2% Black), Kent County (1.9% Black), Providence County (7% Black), and Washington County (1.2% Black).

Bristol County's Asian Population

1,308 residents of Bristol County, or 2.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Bristol County is comparable to the share in Rhode Island overall, where 3.5% of the population is Asian. Bristol County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 5 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bristol County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 2.3%. Asian residents' share of Bristol County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.6%.

Bristol County is more Asian than neighboring Bristol County (2.4% Asian), Newport County (1.7% Asian), and Washington County (2.1% Asian). Bristol County is less Asian than neighboring Kent County (2.9% Asian), and Providence County (4.2% Asian).

Bristol County's Hispanic Population

2,108 residents of Bristol County, or 4.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Bristol County is considerably lower than in Rhode Island overall, where 17.7% of the population is Hispanic. Bristol County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 5 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bristol County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 8.5%. Hispanic residents' share of Bristol County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.2%.

Bristol County is more Hispanic than neighboring Washington County (3.8% Hispanic). Bristol County is less Hispanic than neighboring Bristol County (10.2% Hispanic), Newport County (6.7% Hispanic), Kent County (6.9% Hispanic), and Providence County (25.6% Hispanic).

Bristol County's Native American/Other Population

128 residents of Bristol County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Bristol County is comparable to the share in Rhode Island overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. Bristol County ranks 5th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 5 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bristol County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 49.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Bristol County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Bristol County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Bristol County (1.8% Native American/Other), Newport County (1.2% Native American/Other), Kent County (0.5% Native American/Other), Providence County (1.3% Native American/Other), and Washington County (0.6% Native American/Other).

Bristol County's Multiracial Population

1,857 residents of Bristol County, or 3.7% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Bristol County is comparable to the share in Rhode Island overall, where 4.9% of the population is Multiracial. Bristol County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 5 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bristol County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 2.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Bristol County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.7%.

Bristol County is more Multiracial than neighboring Washington County (3.4% Multiracial). Bristol County is less Multiracial than neighboring Bristol County (6.2% Multiracial), Newport County (4.9% Multiracial), Kent County (4.2% Multiracial), and Providence County (5.4% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.