City profile · Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Colonial Heights, VA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Colonial Heights - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

18,210
Residents
$76,250
Median income
$231,700
Median home
$1,655
Median rent (state)

Colonial Heights - the verdict

Colonial Heights ranks in the 57th percentile for household income and the 10th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

57th
percentile, household income
51st
percentile, home value
65th
percentile, median rent
10th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Colonial Heights, VA

Virginia's Colonial Heights is a small town, with 18,210 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $76,250 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 9.3%. Colonial Heights's housing stock carries a median value of $231,700, and the median resident age is 38.5 years. 29.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 61.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 17 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 467% from five years earlier. Colonial Heights's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 3644.1 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Virginia tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Virginia scores 101.1 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,655 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $235 across Virginia, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 6.0 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

Population

18,210 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Virginia

Median Household Income

$76,250 /yr

Poverty 9.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

101.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Virginia average

How does Colonial Heights compare to other US cities?

Here's how Colonial Heights stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 57% higher than other cities
Home value 51% pricier than other cities
Median rent 65% pricier than other cities
Safety 10% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Virginia alone, Colonial Heights ranks #106 of 117 Virginia cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Colonial Heights against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Virginia only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Virginia-relative analysis

Poverty Rate sits close to the middle of Virginia's city distribution

Among the 616 Virginia cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Colonial Heights ranks #205 - the 66th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Colonial Heights only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#263 of 558
53rd percentile in Virginia
Median Gross Rent
#203 of 619
60th percentile in Virginia
Median Home Value
#324 of 567
43rd percentile in Virginia
Poverty Rate
#205 of 616
66th percentile in Virginia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#285 of 618
54th percentile in Virginia

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Virginia only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

57thIncome percentile
10thSafety percentile

57th percentile nationally for median household income · 10th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Colonial Heights's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Colonial Heights's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 36 Avg. percentile National median
Colonial Heights's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Colonial Heights's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$231,700 49th percentile more affordable than 49% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Colonial Heights $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Colonial Heights, VA Colonial Heights, VA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Colonial Heights, VA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Colonial Heights, VA median $76,250/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Colonial Heights, VA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Colonial Heights, VA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 29.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 9.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
18,210
Median Income
$76,250
Median Home Value
$231,700
Median Age
38.5
Poverty Rate
9.3%
Labor force participation
61.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
29.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3644.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
462.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3181.9
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
18,000 residents18,200 residents18,400 residents18,600 residents18,800 residents 202020212022202320242025 18,162 residents 18,738 residents ▲ +3.2%
Colonial Heights's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
17
housing units authorized
Single-Family
17
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 3
2020 6
2021 13
2022 6
2023 12
2024 17

Permit volume increased 467% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
79.9%
Carpool
6.3%
Public Transit
0.2%
Walk
1.8%
Work from Home
9.6%
Other
2.2%

Based on 8,595 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Virginia - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$70
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$235
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Virginia state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Virginia state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Colonial Heights sits in

Cost of Living Index
101.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,655/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
6.0 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Virginia

Laurel
18,180 people
Franconia
18,141 people
Gainesville
18,036 people
Sudley
18,420 people
Franklin Farm
18,509 people
Hybla Valley
17,877 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Colonial Heights's 18,210 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

North Babylon, NY
18,208 people
Shorewood, IL
18,218 people
Woodmere, NY
18,198 people
Mount Washington, KY
18,228 people
Manchester, MO
18,189 people
Franklin Park, IL
18,233 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Colonial Heights's $76,250 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Deer Trail, CO
$76,250 median income
Buckingham, IL
$76,250 median income
Coalton, IL
$76,250 median income
Lee, IL
$76,250 median income
Reddick, IL
$76,250 median income
Shumway, IL
$76,250 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Colonial Heights, VA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Colonial Heights, VA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 69.4% 18.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7.6% White 69.4% Black or African American 18.0% Asian 3.4% American Indian 0.8% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 3.5% Two or more races 4.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Colonial Heights compares to nearby Virginia cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Colonial Heights (this city) 18,210 $76,250
Laurel 18,180 $69,932
Franconia 18,141 $152,007
Gainesville 18,036 $168,978
Census ACS 5-year FIPS VA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Colonial Heights, VA?

What is the population of Colonial Heights, VA? +

18,210 people live in Colonial Heights, VA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Colonial Heights, VA? +

Colonial Heights households earn a median of $76,250 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Colonial Heights? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Colonial Heights; the closest available measure is the Virginia state average, a cost of living index of 101.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Virginia vary by metro area.

Is Colonial Heights, VA safe? +

Colonial Heights has a total crime rate of 3644.1 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Colonial Heights, VA? +

Homes in Colonial Heights carry a median value of $231,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.