Bristol vs Johnson City
Bristol, Tennessee versus Johnson City, Tennessee: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bristol and Johnson City score about the same overall (52 vs 52 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bristol | Johnson City |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $49k | $53k |
| Cost of Living | $42k | $46k |
| Home Value | $166k | $216k |
| Monthly Rent | $746 | $893 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.77% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.55% | 9.55% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 6.02% | 6.28% |
| Unemployment | 8.8% | 6.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 37°F | 37°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 76°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 44.0 in | 47.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 9.2 in | 9.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 233 days | 233 days |
| Summer Humidity | 65°F | 65°F |
| Comfortable Days | 74 days | 73 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 19.8 | 21.9 |
| Air Quality | 36 AQI | 19 AQI |
| School Quality | 42.9 | 38.1 |
| Violent Crime | 2272/100k | 1338/100k |
| Property Crime | 2301/100k | 2354/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 27,307 | 70,720 |
| Median Age | 40.2 | 34.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.18 | 0.27 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.89 | 0.92 |
| Political Leaning | R+53 | R+37 |
| White (%) | 89.3% | 82.4% |
| Black (%) | 2.8% | 5.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 3.5% | 5.3% |
| Asian (%) | 0.4% | 2.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.0% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 21 min | 18 min |
| Walkability | 6.7/20 | 7.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 115 mi | 114 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 84.5% | 85.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 20.87 | 22.20 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bristol or Johnson City more affordable?
- Bristol has the lower cost of living: its index is $42k, compared with Bristol's $42k and Johnson City's $46k. Median rent is $746 in Bristol versus $893 in Johnson City.
- Is Bristol or Johnson City safer?
- Johnson City has the lower violent crime rate. Bristol reports 2272/100k and Johnson City reports 1338/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bristol or Johnson City?
- The median home value is $166k in Bristol and $216k in Johnson City, so homes are more affordable in Bristol.