City

Bristol area guide

Who lives in Bristol, how they live, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Council: Bristol
Region: South West
Population: 443,142 (2024)

BristolCity

At a glance

What Bristol is like

Bristol is a city in the South West. It is home to about 443,142 people across 172,188 households. 53.5% of households own their home, 26.5% rent privately and 18.8% are in social housing. The largest age group is 20–24, and 58.5% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for England. Higher-harm crime is well above the England and Wales average.

Scores

How Bristol compares

Headline figures for Bristol, set against England as a whole.

AffluenceMore

5.5/ 10

Around the middle. Scored from 1 (most deprived in England) to 10 (least deprived).

CrimeMore

9/ 10

Higher than most: 46.8 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

TransportMore

7.0/ 10

Very good: 4 stations within a mile, 103 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

89%

Rated good or better across 131 inspected schools in Bristol.

Household incomeMore

£56,487

Average annual income before tax, higher than 59% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where Bristol differs most from the national average.

01
A student area
14.1% of adults are full-time students, against 7.9% across England. Expect HMO demand and term-time turnover.
02
Higher crime than mostLook closer
46.8 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year, against 31.1 across England and Wales.
03
A young populationPositive
29.3% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19.6% across England.
04
A big private rental marketPositive
26.5% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England. Tenant demand is established here.
05
Well connectedPositive
4 stations within a mile and 103 bus stops within a ten-minute walk.

Questions

Bristol FAQs

Is Bristol a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 5.5 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 46.8 per 1,000 people a year, band 9 of 10 nationally. 89% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 7.0 out of 10 (very good).

Is Bristol safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 46.8 offences per 1,000 people a year around Bristol, well above the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 9 of 10.

Who lives in Bristol?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 20–24, at 10.3% of residents. 53.5% of households own their home. The most common property type is terraced (31.8%).

How well connected is Bristol?

Connectivity scores 7.0 out of 10.

There are 103 bus stops within 800m and 4 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 7.0 out of 10 (very good). The nearest station is Castle Park Ferry Landing, 0.2 miles away.

Sources: Census 2021 (ONS); ONS mid-year population estimates; police recorded crime; the English, Welsh and Scottish indices of deprivation; ONS small area income estimates; ONS private rents; DfE, Welsh and Scottish school registers and Ofsted; DfT NaPTAN; ORR estimates of station usage. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.

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