Virginia

Living wage in Bristol, Virginia

Most of Bristol is in Bristol city, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $23.38 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.

Pay needed, before taxes$23.38/hrBristol city standard
At Bristol's middle rent$23.88/hrstudio rent $775 a month
Check a job's pay hereAll the numbers for Bristol city

Across the 4 ZIP codes in Bristol with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $750 to $780 a month. At the middle rent, $775, a full-time job would need to pay $23.88 an hour before taxes.

Parts of Bristol are also in Washington County.

ZIP codes in Bristol

What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.

ZIPCountyStudio rentPay needed
24201Bristol city$770/mo$23.71/hr
24202Washington County$750/mo$23.04/hr
24203Bristol city$780/mo$24.05/hr
24209Bristol city$780/mo$24.05/hr

Questions

How much do you need to make to live in Bristol, Virginia?

Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Bristol needs to pay at least $23.38 an hour before taxes, about $48,628 a year. That is the figure for Bristol city, where the typical studio rent is $760 a month.

Does it vary by neighborhood?

Yes. Across the 4 ZIP codes in Bristol with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $750 to $780 a month. At the middle rent of $775, the pay needed would be $23.88 an hour.

How does that compare with the minimum wage?

The minimum wage in Bristol city is $12.77 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 1.8 times that.

The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads