Bristol, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Bristol · Pierce County, Georgia
Population 66 (est. 2026: ~0)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -18.18% annual growth projection

Bristol, Georgia

Pierce County, Georgia · Population 122

Bristol sits in the flatwoods of southeastern Georgia, tucked into Pierce County about halfway between Waycross and the Florida state line. It is a Census-Designated Place rather than an incorporated municipality — no city hall, no mayor, no local ballot. What Bristol has is a tight cluster of households along rural roads where the longleaf pine country gives way to small farms and scattered homesteads. At 122 residents, it is one of the smallest named communities in a county that itself holds just under 20,000 people. The nearest city of any size is Waycross, the Ware County seat, roughly four miles away — close enough that Bristol functions as an extension of that urban edge rather than a standalone place.

People & Demographics

Bristol's 119 counted residents (ACS 2022) skew notably young. The median age is 29.4, well below Georgia's statewide median and reflective of a community where children make up a significant share of the population — 34 of 119 residents are under 18. The racial composition is nearly split: 28 residents identify as white and 29 as Black. No Asian or Hispanic/Latino residents were counted.

The 41 households average 2.90 people each, and 30 of those are family households. At this scale, every data point represents a handful of actual people — statistical margins are wide, and a single family moving in or out shifts the numbers measurably.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Bristol is $62,574 — a figure that sits reasonably well relative to Pierce County's rural economy, though per capita income tells a different story at $19,294. That gap between household and per capita income reflects larger household sizes stretching income across more people.

Poverty is a significant presence. Of 119 residents, 40 fall below the federal poverty line — roughly one in three. The labor force numbers underscore how small this community is: only 29 residents are counted as being in the labor force, with zero recorded as unemployed. The primary industries drawing workers are typical of the rural Georgia coastal plain — agriculture, timber, and the service economy anchored in nearby Waycross.

Housing

All 41 housing units in Bristol are occupied — zero vacancies. That full occupancy rate is unusual and reflects the tight, stable nature of a small rural community where housing rarely turns over. Of the 41 occupied units, 26 are owner-occupied and 15 are renter-occupied, putting the homeownership rate near 63%.

The median home value is $211,800 — notably high for a rural Pierce County community and likely reflects the mix of larger rural parcels and newer construction. Median rent data is not available from the ACS for Bristol.

Schools

Bristol students feed into the Pierce County school system. Pierce County High School (grades 9–12) enrolls 1,033 students. Pierce County Middle School (grades 6–8) serves 827 students. Elementary-age children attend schools including Wacona Elementary (937 students) and Blackshear Elementary (812 students), among others in the district.

Bristol's proximity to the Ware County line means some nearby schools from that system — Ware County High School (1,589 students), Ware County Middle School (783 students), and several Waycross-area elementary schools — serve the broader region. School assignment depends on address and district boundaries.

Getting Around

The commute data from Bristol is striking. Of 29 workers, 21 walk to work — nearly three-quarters of the labor force. Only 8 drive alone. No residents are recorded using public transit, carpooling, or working from home. The aggregate travel time for all 29 workers combined is just 220 minutes, suggesting that for the drivers, trips are short, and for the walkers, jobs are genuinely nearby. This is consistent with a community at the edge of Waycross where some employment — likely agricultural or service-related — is within walking distance of home. No public transit serves Bristol.

Healthcare

No hospital is located in Bristol. The nearest acute care facility is in Waycross, which serves as the regional healthcare hub for Pierce and surrounding counties. Residents should plan for Waycross as their primary access point for hospital and specialty care. A search of CMS NPI-registered providers in Bristol is available through the NPI Registry.

Library

The nearest public library is the Waycross-Ware County Public Library, located 4.4 miles from Bristol. Phone: (912) 287-4978. It serves as the library access point for this part of Pierce County.

Natural Hazards

Pierce County has a pronounced hurricane and tropical storm exposure — the FEMA disaster declaration record makes that plain. Since 2005, the county has received federal disaster or emergency declarations for:

That is fifteen federal declarations in roughly two decades — an average of more than one per year. Southeast Georgia sits in the track zone for storms that make landfall on the Gulf Coast and curve northeast, as well as storms coming directly off the Atlantic. Wind, flooding, and extended power outages are recurring realities here, not theoretical risks.

Government & Municipal Code

Bristol is a CDP — it has no incorporated municipal government. Pierce County government handles zoning, road maintenance, and services for unincorporated areas like Bristol. A municipal code reference is published through Municode at library.municode.com/ga/bristol-cdp-georgia. No local building code is in effect for Bristol.

Weather

Current forecasts for Bristol are available through the National Weather Service: NWS Forecast for Bristol, GA. Active weather alerts can be checked at NWS Alerts. The nearest observation station is Waycross WSMO, 0.4 miles away.

References

The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)