Living in Colchester
Police recorded 87 crimes per 1,000 residents in Colchester in the year to April 2026, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Homes sell for a median of about £3,846 per m², above the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 13.3% of households rent from the council or a housing association, below the UK average of 17.5%. About 6.5% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 59% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
Colchester at a glance
| Measure | Colchester | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 13.3% | UK 17.5% | 241st highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 87 | E, W & NI 82 | 103rd highest of 327 |
| Anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents | 9 | E, W & NI 16 | |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 6.5% | GB 6.9% | 242nd quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 59% | GB 56% | 129th of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 63% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £3,846 | E&W council median £3,342 | 122nd highest of 314 |
| Schools rated Good or Outstanding | 88% | E&W 87% | |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in Colchester?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 16,717 crimes in Colchester — 87 per 1,000 residents, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 103rd highest of 327 councils. That is 8% more than in the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (49%), shoplifting (10%) and criminal damage and arson (8%). Police also logged 1,714 incidents of anti-social behaviour (9 per 1,000 residents).
Rates are per resident, so council areas with busy city centres, shopping or nightlife districts show higher rates than residents alone would suggest. See where crime is recorded on the map →
How much social housing is there in Colchester?
Colchester ranks 241st of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 79,723 households, 10,572 are social homes (13.3%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does Colchester compare with the UK average?
At -4.2 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Colchester sits below the national level.
How noisy is Colchester?
In Colchester, about 6.5% of homes are in areas where modelled road or rail noise reaches 65 dB Lden or more — the level Defra and the WHO treat as high. The Great Britain average is 6.9%, and Colchester is the 242nd quietest of 363 councils mapped.
Estimated from the official strategic noise maps: the share of each census area at 65 dB or more, weighted by its households. See noisy roads and railways on the map →
How close are parks in Colchester?
59% of homes in Colchester are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 63% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Colchester 129th of 363 councils for access to a park.
Straight-line distance from the centre of each census area to the edge of the nearest site in OS Open Greenspace, weighted by households. See parks and play spaces on the map →
Schools, prices and more in Colchester
What the map's other datasets say about Colchester.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, Colchester has 88 schools — 83 state-funded and 5 independent. That includes 63 primary and 12 secondary schools. Of the 32 with a published Ofsted grade, 88% are Good or Outstanding.
Nurseries
There are 102 nurseries and pre-schools on Ofsted's childcare register in Colchester, offering about 4,384 registered childcare places. Childminders are not counted — Ofsted withholds their addresses.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in Colchester sits in decile 6 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 9% of its 117 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £3,846 per m², from Land Registry sold prices matched to EPC floor areas.
Broadband
Median available download speed is about 1,000 Mbit/s — what can be ordered, not what residents have bought (Ofcom Connected Nations).
Explore Colchester on the map
Areas with a similar share of social housing
Sources: 2021–22 Census (social housing); data.police.uk, May 2025 to April 2026 (crime); strategic noise maps, Round 4 (noise); OS Open Greenspace (parks) · Page updated 27 September 2026 · Download the data (CSV, all 374 councils).