Bristol County is a county in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 census, the population was 579,200. The shire town is Taunton. Some governmental functions are performed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, others by the county, and others by local towns and cities. Bristol County is part of the Providence–Warwick, RI–MA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Boston–Worcester–Providence, MA–RI–NH–CT Combined Statistical Area.