United Kingdom · East of England · Local Authority
Colchester
Non-metropolitan district · East of England, England · population ~197k · 80 state-funded schools
Accessible housing costs paired with lower than regional median pay define the economic reality of Colchester. A median house costs 8.2 times annual gross pay, while monthly rent consumes 36.6% of median earnings. These figures sit below the regional median, offering a relative affordability advantage for those working locally, though weekly earnings of £766.60 remain below the East of England median. Residents face a higher crime rate than 62% of England authorities, and the deprivation score is also above the regional median. While council tax is among the lower end of the regional scale at £2,283, the trade-off is a local labour market that struggles to keep pace with regional pay benchmarks. This area suits those prioritising lower housing costs over higher salary potential.
Written from the indicators on this page, 2026-10 data.
The signature
How Colchester ranks across 361 UK Local Authorities
Pay
£39,863/yr
Mid
Better than 55% of UK LAs
House price
£327,000
Expensive
Worse than 62% of UK LAs
Rent
£1,216/mo
Expensive
Worse than 65% of UK LAs
Council tax
£2,283/yr
Cheapest
Better than 83% of UK LAs
Crime
80.5/1k
High
Worse than 61% of UK LAs
Deprivation
16.8
Mid
Better than 58% of UK LAs
Schools
95.0%
Strong
Better than 69% of UK LAs
Colour shows quintile position against 361 UK Local Authorities. Green is the best position for someone moving here; red is the worst. Direction is set per indicator — higher pay, lower rent, less crime, less deprivation are all green.
Schools
86 state-funded schools · Ofsted Sep 2026
76 of 80 (95%) rated Good or Outstanding under Ofsted's legacy framework. 6 schools are on the post-2024 report-card framework and don't roll up into the legacy total. How we count →
The map
80 schools · pins coloured by Ofsted grade
Grades, phase and pupil numbers for all 80 schools, sortable and filterable.
Schools in Colchester →Places with similar signatures
Nearest by quintile position across pay · housing · tax · crime · IMD · schools
What we don't know yet
Commute times · GP appointment availability · broadband speeds · air quality at LA level · green-space proximity · public transport coverage. These matter for a relocation decision. We'll add them when the source data is reliable nationally and consistent across LA boundaries.