City comparison
Bristol, CT is about 10 miles (20 km) from Hartford, CT in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 18 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Bristol, CT to Hartford, CT takes about 2 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Hartford has a population of 121,057, vs 61,052 in Bristol — about 2.0× larger by population. By land area, Bristol covers about 26 sq mi vs 17 sq mi for Hartford.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Bristol | Hartford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,228/mo | $1,154/mo | 6.4% higher in Bristol |
| Median home value | $235,700 | $198,900 | 18.5% higher in Bristol |
| Median household income | $82,094 | $41,841 | 96.2% higher in Bristol |
| Groceries index | 97.4 | 97.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 148.4 | 147.8 | 0.4% higher in Bristol |
| Transportation index | 101.0 | 101.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 101.8 | 101.8 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bristol, you'd need $101,665 in Hartford to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bristol, CT is about 1.6% cheaper overall than Hartford, CT, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in Hartford than in Bristol. If you earn $80,000 in Bristol, you'd need about $81,332 in Hartford to keep the same standard of living.