Bristol County Demographics

A map of Bristol County's Population by Race

Bristol County, Virginia has an estimated population of 16,849, a slight decrease from the 17,219 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 84.5% White, 5.8% Black, 4.7% Multiracial, 2.8% Hispanic, 1.9% Native American/Other, and 0.5% Asian. 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 more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Virginia 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 26.9% in 2020 and 28.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Bristol County is ranked the 88th most populous county in Virginia, out of 133 counties. Bristol County was ranked the 87th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Bristol County's White Population

14,230 residents of Bristol County, or 84.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Bristol County is significantly higher than in Virginia overall, where 58.4% of the population is White. Bristol County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bristol County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.9%. White residents' share of Bristol County's population has decreased from 85.1% to 84.5%.

Bristol County is less White than neighboring Sullivan County (91.6% White), Washington County (94.1% White), Russell County (96.6% White), Carter County (92.8% White), and Johnson County (87.3% White).

Bristol County's Black Population

969 residents of Bristol County, or 5.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Bristol County is considerably lower than in Virginia overall, where 18.3% of the population is Black. Bristol County ranks 94th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bristol County's Black population has declined by an estimated 3.9%. Black residents' share of Bristol County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.8%.

Bristol County is more Black than neighboring Sullivan County (2% Black), Washington County (1.8% Black), Russell County (1.1% Black), Carter County (1.9% Black), and Johnson County (4.7% Black).

Bristol County's Asian Population

76 residents of Bristol County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Bristol County is lower than in Virginia overall, where 6.9% of the population is Asian. Bristol County ranks 61st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bristol County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 52.2%. Asian residents' share of Bristol County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Bristol County is more Asian than neighboring Russell County (0.1% Asian), Carter County (0.1% Asian), and Johnson County (0.3% Asian). Bristol County is less Asian than neighboring Sullivan County (0.7% Asian).

Bristol County's Hispanic Population

465 residents of Bristol County, or 2.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Bristol County is lower than in Virginia overall, where 11% of the population is Hispanic. Bristol County ranks 97th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bristol County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 2.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Bristol County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.8%.

Bristol County is more Hispanic than neighboring Sullivan County (2.6% Hispanic), Washington County (1.9% Hispanic), Russell County (0.7% Hispanic), and Carter County (2.5% Hispanic). Bristol County is less Hispanic than neighboring Johnson County (3.2% Hispanic).

Bristol County's Native American/Other Population

312 residents of Bristol County, or 1.9% 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 Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Bristol County ranks 86th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bristol County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 228.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of Bristol County's population has increased from 0.6% to 1.9%.

Bristol County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Sullivan County (0.4% Native American/Other), Washington County (0.2% Native American/Other), Russell County (0.5% Native American/Other), Carter County (0.2% Native American/Other), and Johnson County (1% Native American/Other).

Bristol County's Multiracial Population

797 residents of Bristol County, or 4.7% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Bristol County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Bristol County ranks 27th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bristol County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 6.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Bristol County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.7%.

Bristol County is more Multiracial than neighboring Sullivan County (2.6% Multiracial), Washington County (1.6% Multiracial), Russell County (1% Multiracial), Carter County (2.5% Multiracial), and Johnson County (3.5% 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.