Colchester, Connecticut

Community · population 4,700 (2020 Census)

Median home: $294,600
Household income: $86,760
Jan low / Jul high: 18° / 83°
Snow a year: 32 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 3
Median age: 54.2

Colchester is a community of 4,700 people, Connecticut. The median home is worth $294,600, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 86% of Connecticut towns, better for retirees than 81% of Connecticut towns.

Colchester in our rankings:

How Colchester ranks

Percentile among Connecticut towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Connecticut towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Colchester is worth $294,600, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). Homes cost about 3.4 times the median household income of $86,760, which is more affordable than 60% of Connecticut towns. Median rent is $1,475 a month. 53.5% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Connecticut towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Colchester	Typical Connecticut town
Median home value	$294,600	$376,000
Median rent	$1,475	$1,462
Median household income	$86,760	$109,167
Home value ÷ income	3.4×	3.6×
Homeownership	53.5%	80.3%
Median year built	1980	1969
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Colchester

People	Colchester	Typical Connecticut town
Median age	54.2	45.0
Age 65 and over	28.1%	20.6%
Under 18	11.6%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	33.0%	45.8%
Below the poverty line	5.7%	5.7%
Veterans	8.1%	—
Born outside the U.S.	7.4%	—
Work from home	16.0%	16.8%
Average commute	31.5 min	27.6 min
Homes with broadband	92.2%	93.8%

Weather in Colchester

July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 18.1°F. About 43.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 32.2 inches of snow (typical Connecticut town: 39.0 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 135 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Willimantic Windham Ap station (13.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Colchester since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Connecticut town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on August 21, 1951 about 8.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 17, 1968.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 10 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 24, 1960.

Towns near Colchester

Colchester, CT
1.5 mi · 15,555 people · home $366,800
Lebanon, CT
6.1 mi · 7,142 people · home $345,900
Hebron, CT
6.4 mi · 9,098 people · home $385,800
Salem, CT
7.2 mi · 4,213 people · home $403,600
Marlborough, CT
7.5 mi · 6,133 people · home $379,100
East Haddam, CT
7.6 mi · 8,875 people · home $352,700
East Hampton, CT
7.9 mi · 2,960 people · home $345,800
Columbia, CT
8.1 mi · 5,272 people · home $361,500

Colchester questions

Is Colchester, Connecticut a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Colchester scores better for retirees than 81% of Connecticut towns and quieter than 51%. 28.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 54.2).

How much does a house cost in Colchester?

The median owner-occupied home in Colchester is valued at $294,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $86,760, so homes cost about 3.4 times income. Median rent is $1,475 a month.

What is the weather like in Colchester?

July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 18.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.2 inches of precipitation a year and 32.2 inches of snow.

Does Colchester get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Colchester since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on August 21, 1951. The typical Connecticut town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Colchester's Census boundary (GEOID 0915840). Comparisons use the median of Connecticut towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-12.