HomeMassachusettsBristol County
Bristol County, Massachusetts: commercial real estate data.
Bristol County, Massachusetts has a population of 582,270 across 553 square miles, up 1.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $36.04 bn in 2024, 13,221 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 691 7(a) approvals worth $219.2 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Bristol County
How many people live in Bristol County
- Population582,270
- Households233,825
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$85,625
- Median age40.9
- Median gross rent$1,245 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$451,200
- Home value to household income5.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher30.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over412,523
- Population under 18119,489
- Share under 1820.5 percent
- Population 65 and over103,468
- Share 65 and over17.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64359,313
- Civilian labor force310,909
- Unemployment rate5.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.2 percent
- Rank by population among Massachusetts counties6th of 14
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents117th
Bristol County is the 6th largest of 14 Massachusetts counties by population. A median home costs 5.3 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.5 percent against 17.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bristol County
Is Bristol County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.60 percent
- Census 2020 base population579,298
- Births, 20245,215
- Deaths, 20246,033
- Natural change, 2024-818
- Net domestic migration, 2024349
- Net international migration, 20244,012
- Total net migration, 20244,361
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20243,583
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1300th
The county has grown 1.60 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Bristol County
Where people moving to Bristol County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving11,332
- People arriving, from those returns18,453
- Adjusted gross income arriving$850.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$75,014
- Largest single originBristol County Non-migrants (232,881 households)
- Largest single destination (232,881 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol County Non-migrants | 232,881 | 442,259 | $20.81 bn |
| Plymouth County | 2,601 | 4,437 | $158.9 m |
| Norfolk County | 1,889 | 3,103 | $166.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,692 | 2,699 | $120.1 m |
| Providence County | 1,150 | 1,877 | $80.7 m |
| Suffolk County | 994 | 1,671 | $80.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 725 | 1,171 | $43.3 m |
| Middlesex County | 652 | 981 | $81.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Bristol County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Bristol County
What the Bristol County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$36.04 bn
- County GDP, 2023$34.31 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.0 percent
- GDP change over five years29.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Massachusetts counties7th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents167th
- GDP per resident$61,897
Output grew 5.0 percent in the latest year and 29.7 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Bristol County
Who employs people in Bristol County
- Covered employment, annual average227,971
- Establishments reporting17,906
- Average annual pay$64,669
- Average weekly wage$1,244
- Sector 62, employment42,694
- Sector 62, average annual pay$61,535
- Sector 44-45, employment31,467
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$40,606
- Sector 31-33, employment23,116
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$84,766
- Sector 72, employment21,167
- Sector 72, average annual pay$27,727
- Sector 23, employment12,550
- Sector 42, employment11,839
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 42,694 | 5,478 | $61,535 |
| Sector 44-45 | 31,467 | 1,858 | $40,606 |
| Sector 31-33 | 23,116 | 663 | $84,766 |
| Sector 72 | 21,167 | 1,216 | $27,727 |
| Sector 23 | 12,550 | 1,630 | $87,687 |
| Sector 42 | 11,839 | 695 | $98,288 |
| Sector 48-49 | 10,889 | 428 | $63,147 |
| Sector 56 | 10,699 | 843 | $52,510 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 42,694 jobs, 18.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bristol County
What businesses operate in Bristol County
- Establishments, all industries13,221
- Employment at those establishments201,320
- Annual payroll$11.89 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bristol County
What is being built in Bristol County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024863
- Declared construction value permitted$210.2 m
- Single family units authorised514
- Multifamily units authorised349
- Multifamily share of units40.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$243,530
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.7
Multifamily is 40.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bristol County
How much SBA lending happens in Bristol County
- 7(a) approvals recorded691
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$219.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$317,170
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$650,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)7,119
- Jobs per approval10.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active73
- Distinct industries receiving approvals218
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer7.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms51
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter622
- Franchise loans66
- Franchise share of approvals9.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (31)
- Most active lenderBristol County Savings Bank (121)
- 504 approvals recorded305
- 504 gross approval dollars$202.9 m
- Average 504 approval$665,098
- Median 504 approval$361,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval6.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.1
- Most active CDCSouth Eastern Economic Development Corporation (78)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals69.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$422.0 m
The average approval of $317,170 sits well above the median of $100,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 7.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bristol County
Do SBA loans in Bristol County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded131
- Paid in full118
- Charged off13
- Charge off rate on resolved loans9.9 percent
- Status: Paid in full118
- Status: Charged off13
- Status: Exempt from disclosure424
- Status: Cancelled104
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed32
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 722511 | Full-Service Restaurants | 10 | 1 | 10.0% |
Of the 131 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9.9 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least ten resolved loans, Full-Service Restaurants carries the highest charge off rate at 10.0 percent.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bristol County
Which parts of Bristol County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending39
- New Bedford, approvals77
- TAUNTON, approvals65
- FALL RIVER, approvals65
- Attleboro, approvals47
- North Attleboro, approvals43
- Seekonk, approvals39
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| New Bedford | 77 | $29,074,800 |
| TAUNTON | 65 | $14,590,900 |
| FALL RIVER | 65 | $26,832,600 |
| Attleboro | 47 | $14,479,400 |
| North Attleboro | 43 | $10,124,800 |
| Seekonk | 39 | $12,398,300 |
| North Dartmouth | 37 | $9,294,400 |
| Fairhaven | 28 | $5,618,900 |
New Bedford accounts for 77 approvals against 65 in TAUNTON. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bristol County
How big is Bristol County
- Land area553 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Massachusetts counties7th of 14
- Width, east to west29 mi
- Height, north to south41.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land1,053
- Establishments per square mile23.91
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Bristol County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Bristol County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population582,270
- Households233,825
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$85,625
- Median age40.9
Common questions
Bristol County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bristol County, Massachusetts?
582,270, in 233,825 households, ranking 6th of 14 Massachusetts counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bristol County growing?
The population has grown 1.60 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 5,215 births against 6,033 deaths, with net migration of 4,361. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bristol County?
$85,625. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $451,200, which is 5.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,245 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Bristol County?
13,221 establishments, employing 201,320 people with an annual payroll of $11.89 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Bristol County?
Average annual pay is $64,669, or $1,244 a week, across 227,971 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bristol County?
691 7(a) approvals totalling $219.2 m since FY2020, across 73 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000, plus 305 504 approvals worth $202.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Bristol County get paid back?
Of the 131 loans that have reached a final outcome, 118 were paid in full and 13 charged off, a charge off rate of 9.9 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Bristol County?
863 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $210.2 m. Multifamily was 40.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bristol County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Bristol County come from?
The largest single origin is Bristol County Non-migrants, with 232,881 households. Arriving households report an average income of $75,014 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Bristol County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Bristol County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.