Colchester, Connecticut

Town · population 15,555 (2020 Census)

Median home: $366,800
Household income: $122,390
Jan low / Jul high: 21° / 84°
Snow a year: 32 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 2
Median age: 43.5

Colchester is a town of 15,555 people, Connecticut. The median home is worth $366,800, close to the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). It ranks quieter than 71% of Connecticut towns.

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 $366,800, close to the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $122,390, which is more affordable than 80% of Connecticut towns. Median rent is $1,474 a month. 76.5% 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	$366,800	$376,000
Median rent	$1,474	$1,462
Median household income	$122,390	$109,167
Home value ÷ income	3.0×	3.6×
Homeownership	76.5%	80.3%
Median year built	1984	1969
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.3%	—

Who lives in Colchester

People	Colchester	Typical Connecticut town
Median age	43.5	45.0
Age 65 and over	20.3%	20.6%
Under 18	20.7%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	49.7%	45.8%
Below the poverty line	3.9%	5.7%
Veterans	6.8%	—
Born outside the U.S.	6.2%	—
Work from home	18.4%	16.8%
Average commute	30.3 min	27.6 min
Homes with broadband	94.3%	93.8%

Weather in Colchester

July highs average 84.1°F and January lows 21.2°F. About 52.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 31.8 inches of snow (typical Connecticut town: 39.0 in). Expect about 15 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 124 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 Norwich Public Utility Plt station (14.6 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 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 8.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 19, 1963.

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 9 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 24, 1960.

Public schools in Colchester

4 public schools with 2,142 students, about 11.6 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Colchester Elementary School	PK-2	606	12.9
Bacon Academy	9-12	604	10.6
William J. Johnston Middle School	6-8	470	10.7
Jack Jackter Intermediate School	3-5	462	12.5

Towns near Colchester

Colchester, CT
1.5 mi · 4,700 people · home $294,600
East Haddam, CT
6.1 mi · 8,875 people · home $352,700
Salem, CT
6.5 mi · 4,213 people · home $403,600
East Hampton, CT
7.4 mi · 2,960 people · home $345,800
Hebron, CT
7.4 mi · 9,098 people · home $385,800
Lebanon, CT
7.5 mi · 7,142 people · home $345,900
Marlborough, CT
7.9 mi · 6,133 people · home $379,100
East Hampton, CT
8.6 mi · 12,717 people · home $349,000

Colchester questions

Is Colchester, Connecticut a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Colchester scores better for retirees than 68% of Connecticut towns and quieter than 71%. 20.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.5).

How much does a house cost in Colchester?

The median owner-occupied home in Colchester is valued at $366,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $122,390, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is $1,474 a month.

What is the weather like in Colchester?

July highs average 84.1°F and January lows 21.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 52.2 inches of precipitation a year and 31.8 inches of snow.

Does Colchester get tornadoes?

2 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 0918015910). 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.