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Colchester, in numbers

Average home prices reached £298,000 in Colchester.

Colchester local authority area. July 2026. Every figure carries its own date.

Colchester’s east side has two linked ambitions: easier bus connections and more welcoming routes around its historic sites. Both still need their next delivery stages checked.

The short version

Average home price over time

August 1996 to July 2026

Colchester local authority area · Cash prices, before allowing for inflation

Reviewed figures: January 1995 to July 2026. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: £54,116 in August 1996; £297,824 in July 2026. 450.3% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Full history context

Average home prices rose from £57,000 to £298,000 between January 1995 and July 2026.

July 2025 to July 2026: £1,000 less per home (0.5% lower).

Cash prices, before allowing for inflation. Changes do not show affordability without local earnings and household circumstances.

Data table and workings

Published UK House Price Index average price, all property types and all buyers, not seasonally adjusted. Entire series comes from the 2026-07 official full-file release, preserving its historical revisions and exact area codes. It is a mix-adjusted average, not the median price paid.

Prices are in pounds at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

Whole local authority area; not a typical home listing or the budget needed by a first-time buyer.

Provisional estimates can be revised. Historical boundaries follow the exact published source code; no old-code series has been relabelled.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Average home price over time — Colchester local authority area: full reviewed history
Period£
January 199556,599
February 199555,823
March 199555,650
April 199555,089
May 199554,726
June 199554,375
July 199554,235
August 199554,417
September 199554,130
October 199553,289
November 199552,559
December 199552,306
January 199652,825
February 199653,318
March 199653,045
April 199653,246
May 199653,363
June 199654,231
July 199654,722
August 199654,116
September 199654,415
October 199653,694
November 199654,504
December 199654,172
January 199754,441
February 199754,253
March 199755,084
April 199755,365
May 199756,675
June 199756,892
July 199758,108
August 199758,576
September 199758,798
October 199758,659
November 199758,678
December 199759,152
January 199860,259
February 199861,038
March 199862,163
April 199863,179
May 199863,981
June 199864,425
July 199864,479
August 199865,097
September 199865,646
October 199865,900
November 199865,546
December 199865,333
January 199966,512
February 199966,433
March 199966,738
April 199965,532
May 199967,046
June 199968,831
July 199970,562
August 199971,603
September 199971,742
October 199973,312
November 199974,428
December 199975,680
January 200076,603
February 200077,810
March 200079,143
April 200080,846
May 200082,949
June 200084,313
July 200084,724
August 200084,661
September 200085,928
October 200087,085
November 200087,262
December 200087,983
January 200187,068
February 200187,965
March 200187,632
April 200189,956
May 200190,689
June 200192,793
July 200195,051
August 200197,343
September 200199,663
October 2001100,744
November 2001101,935
December 2001102,552
January 2002103,341
February 2002104,710
March 2002105,756
April 2002107,316
May 2002110,211
June 2002112,014
July 2002117,551
August 2002120,248
September 2002125,903
October 2002127,798
November 2002130,812
December 2002132,215
January 2003133,571
February 2003134,205
March 2003134,439
April 2003135,439
May 2003137,540
June 2003139,219
July 2003141,272
August 2003141,233
September 2003141,916
October 2003141,201
November 2003143,322
December 2003145,338
January 2004148,424
February 2004150,483
March 2004152,930
April 2004155,082
May 2004157,629
June 2004159,730
July 2004161,089
August 2004162,041
September 2004162,708
October 2004163,521
November 2004165,970
December 2004165,610
January 2005164,752
February 2005164,328
March 2005166,118
April 2005167,040
May 2005167,412
June 2005168,897
July 2005169,502
August 2005169,396
September 2005168,281
October 2005168,718
November 2005169,077
December 2005171,584
January 2006173,545
February 2006175,060
March 2006175,848
April 2006176,907
May 2006177,380
June 2006177,600
July 2006177,372
August 2006178,880
September 2006178,984
October 2006181,450
November 2006181,794
December 2006185,570
January 2007186,496
February 2007187,114
March 2007185,847
April 2007186,003
May 2007188,650
June 2007190,804
July 2007193,334
August 2007194,482
September 2007193,220
October 2007192,010
November 2007191,067
December 2007193,790
January 2008195,177
February 2008194,205
March 2008191,431
April 2008188,508
May 2008185,625
June 2008178,999
July 2008177,137
August 2008174,291
September 2008169,565
October 2008163,795
November 2008153,527
December 2008150,384
January 2009148,317
February 2009151,884
March 2009147,727
April 2009143,042
May 2009144,535
June 2009150,870
July 2009157,592
August 2009161,420
September 2009165,184
October 2009165,315
November 2009166,437
December 2009167,864
January 2010169,666
February 2010170,301
March 2010173,047
April 2010173,626
May 2010173,958
June 2010172,046
July 2010172,007
August 2010173,135
September 2010174,274
October 2010175,502
November 2010174,589
December 2010172,578
January 2011172,891
February 2011170,807
March 2011170,984
April 2011170,843
May 2011171,376
June 2011173,571
July 2011172,555
August 2011173,650
September 2011171,960
October 2011171,129
November 2011172,667
December 2011173,376
January 2012174,687
February 2012171,700
March 2012171,599
April 2012171,286
May 2012171,575
June 2012173,063
July 2012175,173
August 2012176,150
September 2012175,020
October 2012174,950
November 2012174,682
December 2012175,988
January 2013175,606
February 2013176,407
March 2013175,249
April 2013174,974
May 2013175,966
June 2013175,538
July 2013176,406
August 2013178,099
September 2013181,707
October 2013183,500
November 2013183,535
December 2013183,066
January 2014184,720
February 2014185,544
March 2014188,393
April 2014188,191
May 2014190,949
June 2014192,314
July 2014194,511
August 2014196,045
September 2014197,751
October 2014201,338
November 2014202,111
December 2014204,104
January 2015201,092
February 2015202,231
March 2015203,921
April 2015208,300
May 2015209,942
June 2015209,072
July 2015211,166
August 2015213,114
September 2015218,129
October 2015219,021
November 2015222,208
December 2015223,055
January 2016226,308
February 2016224,978
March 2016224,554
April 2016225,886
May 2016229,912
June 2016234,060
July 2016235,689
August 2016240,080
September 2016244,471
October 2016246,761
November 2016245,336
December 2016245,572
January 2017244,366
February 2017249,394
March 2017247,318
April 2017251,737
May 2017251,171
June 2017255,701
July 2017256,754
August 2017259,113
September 2017259,157
October 2017261,061
November 2017259,887
December 2017261,520
January 2018260,242
February 2018261,472
March 2018259,043
April 2018260,875
May 2018259,921
June 2018259,610
July 2018259,745
August 2018261,615
September 2018263,843
October 2018263,514
November 2018261,018
December 2018262,411
January 2019261,857
February 2019262,083
March 2019257,977
April 2019258,265
May 2019256,645
June 2019258,322
July 2019261,489
August 2019263,148
September 2019264,211
October 2019258,109
November 2019256,282
December 2019253,706
January 2020255,160
February 2020255,485
March 2020254,834
April 2020254,039
May 2020254,012
June 2020257,624
July 2020256,363
August 2020257,506
September 2020257,815
October 2020265,784
November 2020268,625
December 2020269,665
January 2021266,217
February 2021265,144
March 2021264,813
April 2021263,450
May 2021264,341
June 2021267,294
July 2021271,135
August 2021274,624
September 2021277,968
October 2021279,589
November 2021285,826
December 2021285,949
January 2022288,818
February 2022288,733
March 2022290,562
April 2022291,961
May 2022295,612
June 2022300,755
July 2022303,552
August 2022305,573
September 2022306,030
October 2022310,383
November 2022312,345
December 2022313,537
January 2023312,831
February 2023311,581
March 2023310,217
April 2023306,721
May 2023303,126
June 2023299,076
July 2023299,388
August 2023296,570
September 2023298,372
October 2023293,989
November 2023296,423
December 2023295,703
January 2024296,679
February 2024290,869
March 2024289,410
April 2024290,410
May 2024292,190
June 2024293,825
July 2024293,713
August 2024294,186
September 2024294,505
October 2024295,338
November 2024297,299
December 2024299,224
January 2025297,729
February 2025297,505
March 2025297,837
April 2025298,264
May 2025299,614
June 2025298,894
July 2025299,277
August 2025298,241
September 2025295,382
October 2025296,269
November 2025299,164
December 2025296,499
January 2026295,066
February 2026296,003
March 2026298,022
April 2026299,101
May 2026297,668
June 2026297,349
July 2026297,824
Source →

People living in the area

201,163

Mid-2025 · Colchester local authority area

Show the workings

Published mid-year estimate for the whole local authority area. This is not automatically the population of the named city settlement.

All usual residents

Source and method →

Average home price

£298,000

July 2026 · Colchester local authority area

Show the workings

Published UK House Price Index average price, all property types and all buyers, not seasonally adjusted. Entire series comes from the 2026-07 official full-file release, preserving its historical revisions and exact area codes. It is a mix-adjusted average, not the median price paid.

Shown to the nearest £1,000. Published value: £297,824.

Homes in the local authority area

Source and method →

Average monthly rent

£1,197

August 2026 · Colchester local authority area

Show the workings

Official local housing data feed. House prices are provisional, not seasonally adjusted; rents use the Price Index of Private Rents. Local short-term estimates are variable. Country references use only the explicitly country-coded ctry object, never the local place object.

Homes in the local authority area

Source and method →
Compare nearby places and England →

Look beneath the average

Homes rented privately

10% to 42.4%

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 with comparable figures.

A larger private-rented sector changes the mix of housing advice, enforcement and tenant support needed. It does not tell us whether individual homes are affordable or safe.

See each ward and the workings

These are separate ward percentages, not an average of them. Boundaries: May 2026. Missing or differently defined figures are excluded from this range and stay visible on the ward pages.

Homes rented privately · 21 March 2021
WardShareCountPopulation or households covered
Rural North10%4364,371
Prettygate10.1%4354,300
Mersea and Pyefleet10.8%4794,455
Marks Tey and Layer11.2%4944,394
Lexden and Braiswick12.6%5033,980
Tiptree12.7%5224,113
St Anne's and St John's12.9%5804,502
Stanway13.4%5374,011
Berechurch17.4%7774,453
Wivenhoe17.7%6033,405
Old Heath and The Hythe23.6%1,2795,409
Mile End26%1,4895,728
Highwoods27.2%1,1994,413
Shrub End30%1,3624,541
Greenstead31.1%1,7695,682
New Town and Christ Church36.7%2,3456,397
Castle42.4%2,3555,555
Source and method →
What could respond to this pattern →

People reporting bad or very bad health

2.9% to 5.8%

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 with comparable figures.

Residents described their own health. Differences in age matter, so this is a prompt to investigate needs, not a score for local health services.

See each ward and the workings

These are separate ward percentages, not an average of them. Boundaries: May 2026. Missing or differently defined figures are excluded from this range and stay visible on the ward pages.

People reporting bad or very bad health · 21 March 2021
WardShareCountPopulation or households covered
Mile End2.9%41514,233
Marks Tey and Layer3.1%34711,148
Rural North3.4%37210,811
Wivenhoe3.5%3178,985
Lexden and Braiswick3.6%3429,609
New Town and Christ Church3.6%52614,672
Shrub End3.7%46412,438
Prettygate3.8%39910,444
Highwoods4%42310,502
Stanway4.2%4069,612
Tiptree4.3%4159,628
Old Heath and The Hythe4.5%58012,760
Castle4.7%53611,314
St Anne's and St John's5.1%55010,792
Mersea and Pyefleet5.1%5059,860
Berechurch5.4%60711,235
Greenstead5.8%85414,671
Source and method →
What could respond to this pattern →

People aged 65 or over

8.2% to 34.6%

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 with comparable figures.

Age helps locate demand for accessible homes, transport and support. Being older does not itself mean someone needs care.

See each ward and the workings

These are separate ward percentages, not an average of them. Boundaries: May 2026. Missing or differently defined figures are excluded from this range and stay visible on the ward pages.

People aged 65 or over · 21 March 2021
WardShareCountPopulation or households covered
Mile End8.2%1,16414,232
Shrub End9.6%1,19912,438
New Town and Christ Church10.4%1,53014,673
Highwoods11.3%1,18510,502
Greenstead12.8%1,88514,671
Berechurch13.7%1,54411,235
Old Heath and The Hythe14.2%1,81412,762
Castle16.3%1,84611,314
Marks Tey and Layer19.1%2,13111,148
Stanway21.4%2,0529,611
Wivenhoe21.4%1,9208,983
St Anne's and St John's23.7%2,55610,791
Lexden and Braiswick23.8%2,2839,609
Rural North24.6%2,65710,807
Prettygate24.9%2,59710,444
Tiptree26.3%2,5369,628
Mersea and Pyefleet34.6%3,4129,862
Source and method →
What could respond to this pattern →
Explore all 17 wards →

What could change things?

The action plan connects local evidence to proposed next steps. Announced projects and proposed responses are shown separately.

opportunity

Join the bus interchange and St Botolph’s routes

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.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2

What could help →

strength

Match new and existing homes to household needs

Chesterwell adds council homes while voluntary moves can release family-sized properties.

Proposed response: Measure suitable, sustained housing outcomes rather than only acquisitions.

Evidence

What could help →

weakness

Turn bus-interchange concepts into a practical passenger plan

Painters Yard has early layouts for consultation.

Passenger facilities and reliable access are still subject to design decisions.

Evidence

What could help →
Read the action plan →

Local work to follow

Painters Yard, beside Curzon Cinema and behind Firstsite

Painters Yard bus interchange

A new interchange on part of the former bus-station site would provide more space for buses and better passenger facilities near Firstsite and the city centre.

Early layout concepts published for consultation · evidence dated 2026-09-29

Responsible body: Team Colchester: Essex County Council and Colchester City Council

What the source says: The announcement presents two early layout options and says consultation launched on 28 September 2026. It does not establish a final layout, construction contract or opening date.

Progress, funding and source
Cost
Not established by the evidence checked.
Funding
Not established by the evidence checked.
Area covered
Unmapped: a verified current ward boundary or council ward statement is still needed.

No verified ward footprint is assigned.

A new chapter for Painters Yard: consultation launched for Colchester Bus Station Interchange →

Source checked 2026-10-17. A plan or announcement is not proof of completion.

Join the bus interchange and St Botolph’s routes →

Turn bus-interchange concepts into a practical passenger plan →

Connect local skills to local opportunities →

How to track delivery →

Britannia Car Park and St Botolph’s Priory

St Botolph’s Quarter

A new public space and clearer walking routes would better connect the station, priory and cultural attractions. Archaeology must be understood before redevelopment.

Archaeological preparation announced · evidence dated 2026-07-13

Responsible body: Colchester City Council, Team Colchester and We Are Colchester

What the source says: The council scheduled investigations from 20 July before construction. The new public space was expected by the end of 2027; that remains a target rather than a completed outcome.

Progress, funding and source
Cost
Not established by the evidence checked.
Funding
Not established by the evidence checked.
Area covered
Unmapped: a verified current ward boundary or council ward statement is still needed.

No verified ward footprint is assigned.

Britannia Car Park to temporarily close for archaeological investigations as plans for St Botolph’s Quarter progress →

Source checked 2026-10-17. A plan or announcement is not proof of completion.

Join the bus interchange and St Botolph’s routes →

Allow for archaeological findings in the public-space timetable →

Connect local skills to local opportunities →

Target support where disadvantages overlap →

How to track delivery →

Chesterwell, Mile End, Colchester

Chesterwell council-home acquisitions

Three new homes bought at Chesterwell add to the council’s housing offer alongside buybacks, new building and support for voluntary moves to more suitable homes.

Three new homes purchased · evidence dated 2026-05-18

Responsible body: Colchester City Council

What the source says: The May update confirms the purchase of three new council homes. It also describes voluntary moves for tenants whose current home no longer suits their needs. This small acquisition is a delivery milestone, not evidence that the city’s housing shortage has been resolved.

Progress, funding and source
Cost
Not established by the evidence checked.
Funding
Not established by the evidence checked.
Area covered
No verified current ward footprint is assigned. The named location or council-wide remit does not establish benefits in every ward.

No verified ward footprint is assigned.

Chesterwell council-home acquisitions →

Source checked 2026-10-17. A plan or announcement is not proof of completion.

Match new and existing homes to household needs →

Make room for homes people can afford →

Target support where disadvantages overlap →

How to track delivery →
All reviewed projects →

What this local evidence covers

3 reviewed plans and projects

3 have a source-dated stage; 0 have some funding evidence; 0 have some cost evidence. These counts do not prove that funding or costs are complete.

Check each project →

0 verified ward links

Project locations cannot be treated as a map of who benefits. Each record explains any verified ward association.

Read the sources and limits →
What is still missing

The reviewed local schemes are a selected evidence collection, not a complete council capital programme.

Current service capacity, incomes, waiting lists, school demand and project outcomes need additional verified local evidence before firm claims can be made.

The bus interchange is at early-concept consultation stage. St Botolph’s archaeological preparation and its end-2027 target do not establish that the new public space is already built.

Project locations have not yet been checked against current ward boundaries. No ward impact is inferred from a city-centre address.