Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bristol, Tennessee
A $183,000 home here costs
$1,490per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $941. The real number is $549 higher every month — 58% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Bristol against Sullivan County and Tennessee
| Measure | Bristol | Sullivan County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $182,500 | $190,800 |
| Median property tax | $1,453 | $1,205 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.796% | 0.632% |
| Median gross rent | $764 | $850 |
| Population | 27,490 | 159,693 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bristol sits in Sullivan County, which averages a high of 86.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 26.3°F in its coldest, with 43.97" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,105 cooling and 4,150 heating degree days, which is what sets the $130 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Sullivan County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Sullivan County
Full Sullivan County cost breakdown · Every county in Tennessee
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bristol?
A $183,000 home in Bristol, Tennessee costs approximately $1,490 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $941 principal and interest, $121 property tax, $77 homeowners insurance, $198 utilities and $153 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bristol?
Bristol has an effective property tax rate of 0.796%, based on a median home value of $182,500 and median real estate taxes of $1,453. That is higher than the Sullivan County average of 0.632%.
What is the average home price in Bristol?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bristol, Tennessee is $182,500, against $190,800 across Sullivan County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bristol?
Median gross rent in Bristol is $764 a month, against $1,490 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Bristol — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Tennessee.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.