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Living in Colchester

Colchester is one of the cities recorded in the United Kingdom. Colchester numbered 130,245 residents at the end of 2021. The regional median gross salary reached €2,967 per month at the end of 2024. The city faced an unemployment rate of 2.51% at the end of 2018.

Lower unemployment than 89% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and less recorded crime than 78% of United Kingdom cities that publish it.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Colchester?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Colchester.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Colchester yet. United Kingdom has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Rent price index, mean1,401 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics11Official

Work and income

For Colchester, the employment rate was 60% at the end of 2021. Colchester had 62,725 at the end of 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Colchester?

The unemployment rate is about 2.5 % (2018).

  • Unemployment rate: 2.51 % · Eurostat2
Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Colchester is 2.5%. Of 1,007 cities with data, 657 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United Kingdom per band24 cities: 0% to under 2%240–2657 cities: 2% to under 4%6572–4Colchester 2.5%265 cities: 4% to under 6%2654–649 cities: 6% to under 8%496–87 cities: 8% to under 10%78–104 cities: 10% to under 12%410–121 city: 16% to under 18%116–18

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate60 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics4Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,967 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics (ONS)6Official · regional context
Unemployment rate2.51 %country median 3.4%31 Dec 2018Eurostat2Official
Unemployment rate over time7 published observations, 2004–2018
Unemployment rate in Colchester by year, %1.7%3.0%4.4%5.7%20042011201620182.5%%

Unemployment rate fell 40.5% between 2004 and 2018, from 4.2% to 2.5%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Colchester. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim
Open official service
Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Colchester. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary School Count73 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official
School Count103 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official

Safety

How safe is Colchester?

Police recorded about 8,219 incidents per 100,000 (2026). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: www.ons.gov.uk13

Recorded crime across major citiesColchester highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Colchester highlighted14,267Manchester13,099Bristol12,409Liverpool11,462Leeds11,416Birmingham11,001Leicester9,693Sheffield9,379Cardiff8,836Coventry8,219Colchester757Glasgow549Edinburghrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents8,219 incidents per 100,000country median 9,66927 Aug 2026www.ons.gov.uk13Official

Mobility and administration

Colchester's nearest airport was SEN, 38 km away and offered 14 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count14 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights9Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km38 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports10Official
Nearest Major Airport IataSEN3 Aug 2026OurAirports10Official

Climate and air quality

Colchester's monthly mean temperatures were 4.2°C in January and 17.4°C in July.

Is the air quality good in Colchester?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 6.75 µg/m³ · uk-air.defra.gov.uk12
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Colchester annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5256.8PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomAnnual PM2.5 in Colchester is 6.8 µg/m³. Of 864 cities with data, 448 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United Kingdom per band1 city: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³13–428 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³284–5203 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³2035–6448 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³4486–7Colchester 6.8174 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³1747–88 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³88–91 city: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³19–101 city: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³113–14

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean6.75 µg/m³31 Dec 2024uk-air.defra.gov.uk12Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 13.26 · Feb 16.5 · Mar 18.93 · Apr 24.16 · May 25.43 · Jun 27.95 · Jul 31.43 · Aug 30.84 · Sep 27.05 · Oct 25.89 · Nov 18.35 · Dec 13.8 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official · coordinate grid
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -6.62 · Feb -6.39 · Mar -3.96 · Apr -2.83 · May 0.22 · Jun 3.87 · Jul 7.83 · Aug 6.24 · Sep 3.19 · Oct -2.07 · Nov -4.05 · Dec -5.34 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by monthJan 4.16 · Feb 4.29 · Mar 6.01 · Apr 8.88 · May 12.14 · Jun 15.22 · Jul 17.38 · Aug 17.16 · Sep 14.6 · Oct 11.34 · Nov 7.42 · Dec 4.84 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official · coordinate grid

Cities of a similar size in United Kingdom

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United Kingdom cities
Newport (Newport)130,890 residentsWatford131,325 residentsWatford (Watford)131,325 residentsExeter126,175 residentsBlackburn124,955 residentsCrawley120,550 residents

Population and city profile

Colchester had a median age of 35 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Colchester?

The published population was 130,245 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics5

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population130,245 people31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official

International community in Colchester

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Usual residents living in the individual ONS Built-up Area on Census Day 21 March 2021 · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Europe: United Kingdom106,64081.9%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)13,85010.6%
Europe: EU countries9,7607.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source8

Is Colchester a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker31%strong on work, weak on safety · range 22–40%
Skilled employee63%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–71%
Student39%strong on education, weak on work · range 31–47%
Family56%strong on family, weak on cost · range 48–64%
Retirement28%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 16–40%
Population130,245 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Rent price index, mean1,401 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Official source · Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics
Employment rate60 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Median gross salary (regional)2,967 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Unemployment rate2.51 %31 Dec 2018Official source · Eurostat
PM2.5 — annual mean6.75 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · uk-air.defra.gov.uk
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-14

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct32.7 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics4Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus62,725 workers31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics4Official
Median age35 years31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics4Official
Universities1 count3 Aug 2026Office for Students7Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Colchester under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

How does Colchester compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Colchester's.

Another city…

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Colchester?

The published population was 130,245 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Colchester?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: uk-air.defra.gov.uk.

How safe is Colchester?

Police recorded about 8,219 incidents per 100,000 (2026). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: www.ons.gov.uk.

What is the unemployment rate in Colchester?

The unemployment rate is about 2.5 % (2018). Source: Eurostat.

What is the typical salary around Colchester?

The median gross salary is 2,967 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is Colchester a good place to live?

Colchester may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Europe: EU countries live in Colchester?

The official country of birth distribution records 9,760 people (7.5%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 14). Colchester, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs, safety [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/colchester/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_colchester-united-kingdom-rent-salary-jobs-safety_c2c737ec65d2,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Colchester, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs, safety},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  snapshot = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/colchester/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Colchester, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs, safety](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/colchester/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  2. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  3. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  4. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
  5. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
  6. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  7. Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  8. ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-06
  9. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  10. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Show 3 more sources
  1. Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-12
  2. uk-air.defra.gov.uk uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26
  3. www.ons.gov.uk ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26

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