Bristol is a historic river town with a walkable main street, a train station and some of the best values in Bucks County. Bristol Borough had 9,861 residents at the 2020 Census and sits on the Delaware River across from Burlington, New Jersey, 23 miles from Center City (Wikipedia). Here's how I explain it to the families I help move here.

Photo: Smallbones / Wikimedia Commons, public domain

One of Pennsylvania's oldest boroughs

Bristol was settled in 1681 and incorporated in 1720, making it the third-oldest borough in Pennsylvania (same source). After 1834 it became the southern end of the Delaware Canal, shipping anthracite coal to Philadelphia and helping power the Industrial Revolution (same source). The Grundy Mill Complex, the Harriman Historic District, the Jefferson Land Association Historic District and the Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal are all on the National Register (same source).

Photo: Smallbones / Wikimedia Commons, public domain

The vibe

Bristol is a river town first: the borough fronts the Delaware across from Burlington, New Jersey (Wikipedia), and the 60-mile Delaware Canal towpath runs from Easton to Bristol (Wikipedia). At 1.9 square miles, the borough is small enough to explore on foot (Wikipedia). Pennco Tech is in the borough, and Conwell-Egan Catholic in nearby Fairless Hills serves high-school students (same source).

Photo: KLOTZPLATE / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Schools: Bristol Borough

Bristol Borough School District has two public schools: Warren Snyder-John Girotti Elementary (K–6) and Bristol High School (7–12) (same source). St. Mark School is the local parish school (same source). Homes just outside the borough in Bristol Township attend Bristol Township schools (Wikipedia). Always confirm the district for a specific address.

Photo: Smallbones / Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Getting around

Bristol station is on SEPTA's Trenton Line between Center City and Trenton, and SEPTA bus Routes 128 and 129 serve the borough (Wikipedia). US 13 (Bristol Pike) runs through town and connects to the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-95) at the Delaware Valley interchange near the bridge to the New Jersey Turnpike (same source).

Local favorites

Mill Street is Bristol's dining row. Drift on Mill at 313 Mill Street was featured in August 2026 (Bucks County Today), and Itri Wood Fired Pizza Bar is across the street at 310 Mill Street (Lower Bucks Times, Aug. 2026). Bristol Riverside Theatre has announced its 2026–27 season (Bristol Riverside Theatre). The Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library is at 680 Radcliffe Street (Bucks County Free Library).

Parks, libraries and events

Bucks County Today called Bristol Borough's downtown a revival story in June 2026, and the restaurants along Mill Street are a big part of it (Bucks County Today). The riverfront is just as lively: the Bristol Lions Club's free summer concert series ran Sunday evenings at the Lions Park gazebo at the foot of Mill Street through Aug. 30, 2026 (Patch, June 4, 2026). With the theater, the river and a library on Radcliffe Street, Bristol gives you small-town life on the Delaware.

The Bristol market right now

Bristol is one of the most affordable train towns in Bucks County, with a $326,000 median. It's a smaller market (96 sales in a year), and homes take a little longer to sell on average than in the hottest towns, which gives buyers time to choose while well-priced homes still sell steadily.

I pulled these numbers from Bright MLS on October 13, 2026, for residential closed sales in Bristol Borough (Bucks County) by close date. Over the last 12 months (October 2025 through September 2026), 96 homes sold at a median of $326,000 and an average of $361,814. They averaged 46.6 days on market (the average for the period), and the average sold-to-original-list-price ratio was 97.98%. 61 of those 96 sales had 30 or fewer days on market. Q3 2026 alone brought 26 sales at a $326,950 median and 98.90% of original list, averaging 32.4 days on market. As of October 13, 2026 there were 21 active and coming-soon listings.

Source: Bright MLS, Bristol Borough (Bucks County), Residential, closed by close date, pulled Oct 13, 2026; information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Taxes and resale requirements

Here's what to expect for property taxes and resale steps. One mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value (not the sale price), so mills × 100 gives the yearly tax on a $100,000 assessment.

Bristol Borough: 242.04 total mills = 29.65 county + 51.39 borough + 161 school (county and borough: 2026; school: 2026–27 school year). On a $100,000 assessed value, that's about $24,204.00 a year (242.04 × 100). Bristol Borough requires a residential Use & Occupancy inspection ($75), with chimney, electrical and heater certificates and smoke alarm certification. (Millage: Bucks County Board of Assessment, 2026 sheet dated July 1, 2026. Resale requirements: Suburban Realtors Alliance municipal database (members-only), accessed Oct 13, 2026.)

Tax bills also depend on your assessment, any homestead exclusion and the discount or penalty period, so I always pull the exact figures for a specific house.

Moving up in Bristol

Most of my clients aren't first-time buyers; they're families selling one home and buying the next at the same time. My job is to run both sides on one calendar: pricing your current home, getting your financing options (a sale-contingent offer, a bridge loan or HELOC, or a rent-back) lined up before you list, and timing the closings so you only move once.

What clients say

Dee Nacovski: "Nick is a great guy and very attentive, i was looking to buy a duplex for more then a year with no results. When I meet Nick it was done in two weeks and exactly how I liked it. Thanks Nick you’re the best 👍"

Megan McManus: "As a first time home buyer, I was understandably nervous about the process, and unsure what to expect. But thankfully Nick helped make it easy and explained everything along the way! He worked hard to help us find our dream home, and wouldn't let us settle for anything but what was perfect for our family. Nick was extremely patient, professional, and personable, he made a stressful life event easier than I could have imagined!"

Reviews from Google.

Latest from Bristol

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More local news on the Bucks Co. & Beyond Daily blog.

I'm Nick Rau, President of Sales with the Rarity Real Estate Team, ranked in the Top 1% of agents nationally (RealTrends 2025, individual), with more than 135 Google reviews, and I'd love to help you make your move to (or within) Bristol.

Contact Nick

Nick Rau, Rarity Real Estate Team
1100 N Delaware Ave Suite A, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Phone: (215) 593-7498
Email: [email protected]
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Bristol FAQ

Is Bristol, PA a good place to live?

Yes. It offers a historic riverfront downtown, the Delaware Canal towpath, a SEPTA train station and some of the best values in Bucks County.

What school district serves Bristol?

Bristol Borough School District for the borough; Bristol Township School District for homes in the surrounding township.

Is there a train from Bristol to Philadelphia?

Yes. Bristol station is on SEPTA's Trenton Line into Center City.

What's the median home price in Bristol?

Over the last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026), the median sold price in Bristol Borough was $326,000; in Q3 2026 it was $326,950 (Bright MLS, pulled Oct 13, 2026).

How fast are homes selling in Bristol?

61 of 96 sales over the last 12 months had 30 or fewer days on market, at an average of 97.98% of original list price (Bright MLS, pulled Oct 13, 2026).

Can I sell my current home and buy in Bristol at the same time?

Yes. Options include a sale-contingent offer, a bridge loan or HELOC, or a rent-back; I coordinate both closings on one timeline.