Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,745.
Colchester’s best subject grades are an A for safety and the outdoors and an A− for civic life; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. Only 2 of New York’s 1,216 towns score lower on hazard risk. 36% of the land in Colchester is conserved, against 5.2% in New York’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Delaware Wild Forest, 21,245 acres with 34.1 miles of trail. Colchester has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Colchester beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
2,077 counted in 2010 and 1,782 in 2020; an estimated 1,745 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Colchester is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,064 in 1820, a peak of 3,193 in 1910, 1,782 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1869 and 2 maps from 1922 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Colchester, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Colchester.
Colchester’s property crime rate is 1.7 per 1,000 residents, where New York’s towns sit at 7.5 and U.S. towns at 9.9. Colchester’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents.
| Colchester | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Downsville Central School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downsville Central SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 219 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
78 miles of trail in 19 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Delaware Wild Forest | 34.1 mi | 21,245 |
| 2. Bear Spring Mountain Wildlife Management Area | 18.7 mi | 4,462 |
| 3. Colchester Forest Preserve Detached Parcel | 1.1 mi | 763 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The FEMA risk score in Colchester is 89 of 100. Since 1982, 100 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Colchester.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
About one in 4 of Colchester’s working residents works in town. 12% of residents live below the poverty line in Colchester. The top destinations are Delhi (9%), New York (7%) and Walton (4%).
| Colchester | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Only 4 of the 759 New York towns we compare have a lower July high than Colchester. Colchester has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Colchester beats the New York average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 41% of Colchester adults have high blood pressure.
| Colchester | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 81% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 36% |
| What stands out | Colchester | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.4% | 14.5% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6% | 7.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.2% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Colchester; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Colchester residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
3 places in Colchester on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New York, United States
Colchester is a town in Delaware County, New York, United States. The population was 1,782 at the 2020 census. The town is in the southwestern part of the county.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Colchester.
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester | — | — | C+ | A | C− | B− |
| Hancock | #694 | D | B− | — | C− | B− |
| Rockland | #660 | D | C+ | — | C | B− |
| Andes | — | — | C | — | C− | B |
| Hamden | — | — | C | — | B− | B− |
| Walton | #721 | D | B− | — | C− | C− |
Colchester, Andes and Hamden have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Hancock, Rockland, Andes, Hamden and Walton report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Colchester with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
Colchester has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 2 notable people were born here, including James H. Davidson and Charles Knapp.
