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Housing in Colchester

What the homes in Colchester are, who owns them, how many people share them and what they rent for.

Council
Colchester
Region
East of England
Population
137,828 (2024)
Property types

What homes look like here

The most common homes here are semi-detached houses (29.9%). Flats make up 25.5%, above the 22.2% across England.

ColchesterEngland
Detached23.4%22.9%
Semi-detached29.9%31.5%
Terraced21.1%23%
Purpose-built flat22.3%17.1%
Flat in a converted or shared house1.7%3.5%
Flat in a commercial or converted building1.5%1.7%
Caravan or mobile home0.2%0.4%
Tenure

Owning vs renting

58.1% of households in Colchester own their home, broadly in line with the England average of 61.3%. Private renting makes up 25.7% of households, above the England figure of 20.5%. 27.1% own outright and 31% with a mortgage.

Colchester
58%
26%
16%
England
  • Owned58.1%61.3%
  • Shared ownership0.6%1%
  • Private rented25.7%20.5%
  • Social rented15.5%17.1%
  • Lives rent free0.1%0.1%

By mortgage and landlord type

ColchesterEngland
Owned outright27.1%32.5%
With a mortgage or loan31%28.8%
From a private landlord or letting agent22.7%18.2%
Other private rented3%2.2%
From the council7.7%8.3%
From a housing association7.8%8.8%
Occupancy

How many people live in each home

The average home here has 2.3 people living in it. 30.2% of households are one person living alone, against 30.1% across England.

ColchesterEngland
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
123456+
Households

Who lives together

The most common household is a couple with dependent children (20.8%). 28.8% of households include dependent children.

ColchesterEngland
Living alone, under 6619.1%17.3%
Living alone, 66 and over11.1%12.8%
Couple, no children17.1%16.8%
Couple with dependent children20.8%18.9%
Couple with grown-up children5.2%6.3%
Lone parent with dependent children8.1%6.9%
Lone parent with grown-up children3.7%4.2%
Family, all aged 66 and over7.1%9.2%
Sharers and other households7.9%7.7%
Rents

Private rents in Colchester

Average monthly rent for a new or renewed tenancy in Colchester (August 2026, +2.1% on a year earlier). ONS publishes rent figures at council level rather than by neighbourhood.

ColchesterEngland
All homes£1,197£1,459
One bedroom£820£1,195
Two bedrooms£1,063£1,335
Three bedrooms£1,301£1,489
Four or more£1,796£2,161
Detached£1,566£1,640
Semi-detached£1,268£1,449
Terraced£1,229£1,435
Flat or maisonette£955£1,444

Source: Census 2021, Office for National Statistics. Population: ONS mid-year estimates. Open Government Licence v3.0. Rents: ONS Price Index of Private Rents.

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