Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bristol, Virginia
A $169,000 home here costs
$1,386per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $869. The real number is $517 higher every month — 59% 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 Bristol city and Virginia
| Measure | Bristol | Bristol city |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $168,700 | $168,700 |
| Median property tax | $1,294 | $1,294 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.767% | 0.767% |
| Median gross rent | $775 | $775 |
| Population | 17,024 | 17,024 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bristol sits in Bristol city, 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 $158 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Bristol city — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Bristol city
No other places of this size are published in Bristol city.
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bristol?
A $169,000 home in Bristol, Virginia costs approximately $1,386 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $869 principal and interest, $108 property tax, $42 homeowners insurance, $226 utilities and $141 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bristol?
Bristol has an effective property tax rate of 0.767%, based on a median home value of $168,700 and median real estate taxes of $1,294. That is in line with the Bristol city average of 0.767%.
What is the average home price in Bristol?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bristol, Virginia is $168,700, against $168,700 across Bristol city.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bristol?
Median gross rent in Bristol is $775 a month, against $1,386 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 Virginia.
- 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.