Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Virginia ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

BWindsorSafer than 61% of U.S. towns B−Colonial BeachSafer than 48% of U.S. towns

Schools

A−WindsorBetter than 80% of districts in the state C+Colonial BeachBetter than 39% of districts in the state

Health

B−WindsorHealthier than 48% of U.S. towns DColonial BeachHealthier than 7% of U.S. towns

13Windsor

6Colonial Beach

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 255 towns #230#57 Most conserved landOutdoors · 243 towns #118#210 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 255 towns #95#189 Most activeHealth · 255 towns #153#242 Lowest depressionHealth · 255 towns #150#229 Best schoolsSchools · 219 towns #81#146 Fewest smokersHealth · 255 towns #166#240 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 255 towns #156#227

Left end = #1 in Virginia. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Windsor’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $150 more a month in Windsor

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Windsor$2,100/mo

Typical home $355K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.81% · or rent about $950/mo · Housing →

Colonial Beach$1,950/mo

Typical home $325K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.91% · or rent about $620/mo · Housing →

The difference: $150 a month, about $1,800 a year, between Windsor and Colonial Beach.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

WindsorColonial Beach

Snow a year4″12″

January low29°F 29°F

July high89°F 88°F

Growing season (days)208d 204d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)26th 51st

Outdoors & history

WindsorColonial Beach

Trails1 mi 0 mi

Conserved land5.1%0.8%

Settled1902 1892

National Register places2 2

Archive photos18 24

Famous people born here—3

Community

WindsorColonial Beach

Library hours a week34 hrs 32 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

101 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WindsorVA Colonial BeachVA

Windsor ↔ Colonial Beach101 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Virginia average

WindsorColonial Beach

People

Population 2,852Lowest 3,966Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.6%Lowest VA: +7.9% +10.3%Highest VA: +7.9%

Median age 41.6±5.8Lowest 7% above VA 46±10.5Highest 18% above VA

Colonial Beach and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 23.3%±5.8Highest VA: 21.7% 21.1%±5.2Lowest VA: 21.7%

Windsor and Colonial Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 19.5%±4.4Lowest VA: 16.7% 24.2%±5.3Highest VA: 16.7%

Colonial Beach and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.2%Lowest VA: 42.2% 28.8%Highest VA: 42.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.8%±2.4Highest VA: 6.9% 1.1%±1.1Lowest VA: 6.9%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $68,661±$4kHighest 26% below VA $60,513±$9kLowest 35% below VA

Windsor and Colonial Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $280,800±$42kHighest 27% below VA $268,200±$20kLowest 30% below VA

Windsor and Colonial Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $950±$371Highest 40% below VA $620±$459Lowest 61% below VA

Windsor and Colonial Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,284Lowest 18% below VA $2,431Highest 13% below VA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 11.5%±15.9Lowest VA: 48.5% 54.2%±22.4Highest VA: 48.5%

Below poverty line 11.7%Lowest VA: 9.9% 24.4%Highest VA: 9.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 80.6%Highest VA: 67.3% 79.9%Lowest VA: 67.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1995Highest 11 yrs newer than VA 1979Lowest 5 yrs older than VA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 32 minLowest 15% above VA 40 minHighest 47% above VA

Work from home 4.8%±3.3Lowest VA: 18.3% 10.8%±6.1Highest VA: 18.3%

Colonial Beach and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 7.1%Lowest 10.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miLowest 41.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.56Highest 0.42Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Suffolk (15%)Washington (5%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Colonial BeachFew work in Windsor

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.1%Highest 0.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.8 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 4Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 26.9Lowest 96.0Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #81 of 219 in VA #146 of 219 in VA

School district Isle of Wight County Public SchoolsColonial Beach Public Schools

High school in town Windsor HighColonial Beach High

Students per teacherat that high school 13.5Lowest 20.5Highest

Virginia average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Windsor neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Windsor’s Town Square.

Colonial Beach neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Colonial Beach’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Windsor and Colonial Beach

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Towns like Windsor

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Shenandoah2,888 people · $213K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Virginia towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Windsor vs Colonial Beach

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Windsor places higher on 13 of 19 VA lists

A typical home costs $150 more a month in Windsor

What daily life feels like in each

101 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Windsor and Colonial Beach

Towns like Windsor

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