Thistledown, Highwoods, Colchester, CO4 9UH

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The local area around CO4 9UH is generally consistent with those figures, having a male population of 48.5%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	46.9%	51.5%	4.6%	51.0%	0.5%
Male	53.1%	48.5%	-4.6%	49.0%	-0.5%

Partnership Status

Across the UK, the average relationship status breakdown is roughly 44% married, 38% single, 9% divorced, 6% widowed, and 2% separated.

In the immediate vicinity of CO4 9UH there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 72.4% of the resident population. In contrast, the average marriage rate across the census is about 44%.

Areas with a high percentage of married residents are typically suburban neighborhoods, towns with good schools and family-friendly amenities, and regions with affordable, spacious housing options. Additionally, such areas can be popular among retirees.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Single	23%	19%	-4.0%	37.9%	-18.9%
Married: Opposite sex	61.9%	72.4%	10.5%	44.2%	28.2%
Separated	0.9%	2.6%	1.7%	2.2%	0.4%
Divorced	8.8%	4.3%	-4.5%	9.1%	-4.8%
Widowed	5.3%	1.7%	-3.6%	6.1%	-4.4%

Health

Across the UK, the average 48.4% rated their health as Very Good, 33.6% as Good, 12.7% as Fair, 4% as Bad, and 1.2% as Very Bad.

Population age significantly impacts residents' health. Additionally, socioeconomic status plays a crucial role: higher income levels and lower poverty rates are linked to better health outcomes. Affluent areas benefit from higher living standards, access to private healthcare, and healthier lifestyle choices.

This area has a high percentage of residents reporting their health as Good or Very Good (85.6%) compared to the average (82%). This typically indicates either a younger population or more affluent area.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Very good health	43.8%	60.4%	16.6%	48.4%	12.0%
Good health	36.2%	25.2%	-11.0%	33.6%	-8.4%
Fair health	17.7%	11.5%	-6.2%	12.7%	-1.2%
Bad health	0.8%	0%	-0.8%	4.0%	-4.0%
Very bad health	1.5%	2.9%	1.4%	1.2%	1.7%

Education and Qualifications

During the 2021 census, the educational qualifications of residents across the UK were as follows: 18.2% had no qualifications, 9.6% had 1-4 GCSEs, 13.4% had 5 or more GCSEs and 1-2 A/AS Levels, 16.9% had 2 or more A Levels, 33.8% held a degree (or equivalent), and 5.4% had completed an apprenticeship.

This area stands out for its high percentage of residents with higher education degree or similar. The UK average is 33.8%, while in this area it is 48.3%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	15.9%	11.2%	-4.7%	18.2%	-7.0%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	13.3%	14.7%	1.4%	9.6%	5.1%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	15%	12.9%	-2.1%	13.4%	-0.5%
Apprenticeship	4.4%	4.3%	-0.1%	5.3%	-1.0%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	12.4%	7.8%	-4.6%	16.9%	-9.1%
Degree or Similar	36.3%	48.3%	12.0%	33.8%	14.5%
Other	2.7%	0.9%	-1.8%	2.8%	-1.9%

Culture

Ethnic Group

This area closely mirrors the overall ethnic composition of the UK, with 83.8% of the population identifying as white, with UK average of 81.4%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Chinese	6.2%	0%	-6.2%	0.7%	-0.7%
Indian	3.1%	0%	-3.1%	3.1%	-3.1%
Pakistani	0%	4.4%	4.4%	2.7%	1.7%
Other Asian	0%	2.9%	2.9%	1.6%	1.3%
Black Caribbean	0%	0.7%	0.7%	1.0%	-0.3%
Mixed White and Asian	0%	2.9%	2.9%	0.8%	2.1%
Mixed Other	1.5%	1.5%	0.0%	0.8%	0.7%
White	89.2%	83.8%	-5.4%	81.4%	2.4%
Arab	0%	1.5%	1.5%	0.6%	0.9%
Other	0%	2.2%	2.2%	1.6%	0.6%

Country of Birth

In this area, 82.4% of the population were born in the United Kingdom, which is similar to the UK average of 83.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	91.5%	82.4%	-9.1%	83.2%	-0.8%
European Union	2.3%	2.9%	0.6%	6.1%	-3.2%
Rest of Europe	0.8%	2.9%	2.1%	0.8%	2.1%
Africa	2.3%	2.9%	0.6%	2.7%	0.2%
Middle East and Asia	3.1%	8.1%	5.0%	5.6%	2.5%
The Americas and the Caribbean	0%	0.7%	0.7%	1.3%	-0.6%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	91.5%	81.8%	-9.7%	83.2%	-1.4%
10+ Years	0%	11.7%	11.7%	9.8%	1.9%
5-10 Years	0%	2.2%	2.2%	2.9%	-0.7%
2-5 Years	2.3%	2.9%	0.6%	2.2%	0.7%
Less than 2 years	6.2%	1.5%	-4.7%	1.9%	-0.4%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	87.6%	76.7%	10.9%
Germany	0.7%	0.2%	0.5%
Romania	0.7%	0.9%	-0.2%
Other EU countries	1.5%	1.5%	0.0%
Turkey	0.7%	0.1%	0.6%
Other Europe	2.2%	0.2%	2.0%
Eastern Asia	0.7%	0.3%	0.4%
Southern Asia	1.5%	1.2%	0.3%
No passport held	4.4%	13.5%	-9.1%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	37%	37.2%	-0.2%
Christian	43%	46.2%	-3.2%
Buddhist	1.5%	0.5%	1.0%
Jewish	0.7%	0.5%	0.2%
Muslim	11.1%	6.5%	4.6%
Other religion	1.5%	0.6%	0.9%
Not answered	5.2%	6.0%	-0.8%

Safety

Is Thistledown Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Thistledown was 13.7 per 1,000 residents, which is 84.5% lower than the Highwoods average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Thistledown has the 4th lowest crime rate of 59 local areas in Highwoods and the 50th lowest crime rate of 615 local areas in Colchester .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 13.7 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -31.0%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a slightly higher level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 65% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£49,200

Income Rank
7/10

Household Income in CO4 9UH, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 4/10 (below average )
Indices of multiple deprivation (IMD) is used to classify the relative deprivation (a measure of poverty) of the area. It considers the following domains:
Income Deprivation Domain - 5/10 (average )
The Income Deprivation Domain measures the percentage of people in the population who are experiencing poverty due to having a low income. It includes both those who are unemployed and those who are employed but earn very little (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
Employment Deprivation Domain - 6/10 (average )
The Employment Deprivation Domain measures the proportion of the working-age population in an area involuntarily excluded from the labour market. This includes people who would like to work but are unable to do so due to unemployment, sickness or disability, or caring responsibilities.
Education, Skills and Training Domain - 2/10 (very low )
The Education, Skills, and Training Deprivation Domain measures the lack of education and skills in a local area. It has two parts: one for children and young people, and one for adults. The part for children and young people looks at their school achievements ('flow'), while the part for adults looks at the number of adults without qualifications ('stock').
Health Deprivation and Disability Domain - 6/10 (average )
The Health Deprivation and Disability Domain measures the risk of early death and poor quality of life due to bad physical or mental health. It looks at illness, disability, and early death, but not at behaviors or environments that might affect future health.
Crime Domain - 3/10 (low )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 5/10 (average )
The Barriers to Housing and Services Domain measures how easy or hard it is to access housing and local services. It has two parts: one looks at how close local services are, and the other looks at issues like how affordable housing is.
Living Environment Deprivation Domain - 2/10 (very low )
The Living Environment Deprivation Domain measures the quality of the local environment. It has two parts: the "indoors" part looks at housing quality, and the "outdoors" part looks at air quality and road traffic accidents.
Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) - 2/10 (very low )
The Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) measures how many children aged 0 to 15 live in low-income families. It is part of the Income Deprivation Domain, which looks at how many people in an area have low incomes. This includes both those who are unemployed and those who work but earn very little (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) - 5/10 (average )
The Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) measures the percentage of people aged 60 or older who have low income. It is part of the Income Deprivation Domain, which looks at how many people in an area have low income, including both unemployed people and those with low-paying jobs (and who satisfy the respective means tests).

Property Prices

Average property prices on Thistledown are based on 20 property sales since the beginning of 1995. Estimated property prices are calculated by adjusting the last sale price by current House Price Index for Colchester.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Thistledown, Highwoods, Colchester, CO4 9UH

Estimated Average Property Prices for CO4 9UH

Average Price
£516,695

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£516,695

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Thistledown

Average Price
£549,301

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£549,301

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on ThistledownStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
8 Thistledown, Colchester, Essex Detached, an established residential building	£500,000	2025-02-20	£502,623
16 Thistledown, Colchester, Essex Detached, an established residential building	£510,000	2023-03-31	£489,559
10 Thistledown, Colchester, Essex Detached, an established residential building	£370,000	2020-07-15	£433,325
2 Thistledown, Colchester, Essex Detached, an established residential building	£553,000	2019-09-25	£629,933
8 Thistledown, Colchester, Essex Detached, an established residential building	£345,000	2016-10-07	£423,188

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for CO4 9UH

Employment

The percentage of retired residents living in CO4 9UH area is much higher than the country's average. According to Census 2011, 33% residents of this area were retired, while the average in the UK was 14%.

Economic Activity

Retired	38
Full-Time Employee	33
Part-Time Employee	16
Self-Employed	8
Looking after home or family	6
Unemployed	5
Other	4
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	3
Student (economically inactive)	2
Long-Term Sick or disabled	1

Employment Industry

Construction	12
Human health and social work activities	9
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	8
Education	6
Manufacturing	6
Financial and insurance activities	6
Professional, scientific and technical activities	6
Accommodation and food service activities	5
Information and communication	4
Other	2
Transport and storage	2
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	1
Real estate activities	1
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	1

Schools

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Highwoods Community Primary School Tynedale Square , Highwoods CO4 9SN	3out of 4	553 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Friars Grove Primary School Upland Drive , CO4 0PZ	3out of 4	1,018 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Colchester Clay Lane Grove , CO4 0HH	3out of 4	1,098 yd	Voluntary controlled school	No	Mixed	More About School
Queen Boudica Primary School Cowper Crescent , CO4 5XT	3out of 4	1,103 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Brinkley Grove Primary School Rawlings Crescent , Highwoods CO4 9GF	3out of 4	1,176 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
The Gilberd School Brinkley Lane , CO4 9PU	4out of 4	1,124 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
The Trinity School Brinkley Lane , CO4 9PU	- not rated	1,157 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Colchester Academy Hawthorn Avenue , CO4 3JL	3out of 4	2,367 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
St Helena School Sheepen Road , CO3 3LE	3out of 4	2,372 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Colchester Royal Grammar School Lexden Road , CO3 3ND	4out of 4	3,164 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Boys	More About School

16 plus

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
The Sixth Form College Colchester North Hill , CO1 1SN	- not rated	2,397 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Colchester Institute Sheepen Road , CO3 3LL	- not rated	2,492 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
North East Essex Co-operative Academy Turner Road , Mile End CO4 5LB	3out of 4	1,375 yd	Academy alternative provision converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
The St Aubyn Centre Education Department St Aubyn Centre , CO4 5HG	4out of 4	2,250 yd	Pupil referral unit	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Colchester High School Wellesley Road , CO3 3HD	- not rated	3,017 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Oxford House School 2 Lexden Road , CO3 3NE	- not rated	3,071 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Kingswode Hoe School Sussex Road , CO3 3QJ	3out of 4	3,180 yd	Academy special converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Tesco Family Dining Ltd	Tesco Family Dining Tesco Supermarket, Highwoods Square		566 yd
Greggs	58 St Christopher Road, Colchester		1,066 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Fish 'N' Chick'N	Fish 'n' Chick'n, 54 St Christopher Road		1,081 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Highwood Community Primary School TYNEDALE SQUARE	grass pitches	580 yd
Friars Grove Primary School UPLAND DRIVE	grass pitches, swimming pool	874 yd
St Johns C Of E Primary School CLAY LANE GROVE	grass pitches	1,001 yd

Broadband

Technology Aviability

Percentage of premises that have Superfast Broadband (30Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	100.0%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (100Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	82.4%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	82.4%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	82.4%

Speed Aviability

Percentage of premises unable to receive 2Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 5Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 10Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 30Mbit/s	0.0%

Download Speed

Median download speed	100 Mbit/s
Average download speed	218.5 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	1000 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	1000 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	10 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	16.7 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	50 Mbit/s

Broadband statistics are based on Ofcom's Communications Market Report (CMR) 2022.