ColchesterCountsColchester, in numbers.Local help →Colchester · England
Colchester council area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats drawn from the available evidence. These are analytical judgements, not an official council assessment. Where a national comparison is available, lower housing costs, lower reported poor health and higher qualification shares are treated as relative strengths; this does not prove affordability or service quality.
strength
Chesterwell adds council homes while voluntary moves can release family-sized properties.
Proposed response: Measure suitable, sustained housing outcomes rather than only acquisitions.
What could help →strength
Average private rent is £1,197 a month (August 2026) in Colchester council area. This is £262 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 10% in Rural North to 42.4% in Castle — a gap of 32.4 percentage points.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
What could help →strength
4.2% of people reported bad or very bad health in Colchester council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.9% in Mile End to 5.8% in Greenstead — a gap of 2.9 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
What could help →The evidence gathered here does not yet support a distinct finding in this category.
opportunity
Painters Yard has two early interchange layouts for consultation, while archaeological preparation precedes St Botolph’s public-space work.
Proposed response: Plan the interchange and nearby walking connections as a usable journey through the area.
What could help →opportunity
17.8% of people in Colchester council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 8.2% in Mile End to 34.6% in Mersea and Pyefleet — a gap of 26.4 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
What could help →opportunity
32.2% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Colchester council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.3% in Mile End to 20.7% in St Anne's and St John's — a gap of 11.4 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
What could help →opportunity
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Colchester council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
What could help →opportunity
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
What could help →opportunity
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.6% in Rural North to 24.6% in Greenstead — a gap of 14 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
What could help →The evidence gathered here does not yet support a distinct finding in this category.
| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Join the bus interchange and St Botolph’s routesPainters Yard bus interchange: Early layout concepts published for consultation; St Botolph’s Quarter: Archaeological preparation announced. See the dated project evidence. | Team Colchester: Essex County Council and Colchester City Council; Colchester City Council, Team Colchester and We Are Colchester | |
| Match new and existing homes to household needsChesterwell council-home acquisitions: Three new homes purchased. Evidence dated 2026-05-18. | Colchester City Council | |
| Make room for homes people can affordAverage private rent is £1,197 a month (August 2026) in Colchester council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 10% in Rural North to 42.4% in Castle — a gap of 32.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 17 of 17 current wards have comparable figures. | The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers | |
| Plan homes and care around an older population17.8% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 8.2% in Mile End to 34.6% in Mersea and Pyefleet — a gap of 26.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 17 of 17 current wards have comparable figures. | Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Bring support closer to people in poor health4.2% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.9% in Mile End to 5.8% in Greenstead — a gap of 2.9 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 17 of 17 current wards have comparable figures. | Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities32.2% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.3% in Mile End to 20.7% in St Anne's and St John's — a gap of 11.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 17 of 17 current wards have comparable figures. | Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority | |
| Target safety work where problems repeatUse the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate. | The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Target support where disadvantages overlapHouseholds facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.6% in Rural North to 24.6% in Greenstead — a gap of 14 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 17 of 17 wards. | The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services |