Satisfaction with Oxford and Oxford City Council rise but concern about housing, transport and crime remain – new survey

This is the third year the Council has carried out a Residents’ Survey, asking a range of questions about the local area, council services, the economy and community safety.

The survey covers residents’ perception of all public services in Oxford, including those provided by Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council and Thames Valley Police.

Key findings include:

Council services

The overall satisfaction with the Council has increased from 52% in 2023 to 60% in 2025. Overall dissatisfaction has reduced from 28% in 2023 to 21% in 2025.

Residents said the services they were most satisfied with were:

• Museums – 86% satisfied; 2% dissatisfied
• Parks and open spaces – 83% satisfied; 6% dissatisfied
• Theatres – 68% satisfied; 6% dissatisfied
• Recycling and waste collection – 64% satisfied; 20% dissatisfied
• Outdoor sports and play facilities – 50% satisfied; 11% dissatisfied

The top priorities for residents have changed in the last 12 months:

Housing

Only 14% of residents said they were satisfied with the number of homes being built to meet Oxford’s housing needs – down from 17% in 2023 and 16% in 2024.

Similarly, only 13% of respondents said they were satisfied with the level of new council housing being provided, and just 7% were satisfied that enough infrastructure was being delivered with new homes.

Economy

Optimism about Oxford’s economy has risen significantly, with 43% of respondents expressing a positive outlook in 2025 – up from 36% in 2023 and 35% in 2024. Optimism (43%) is also higher than pessimism (42%) for the first time.

Asked about their personal financial situation, 48% of residents expected it to stay the same over the next 12 months, 29% expected it to get worse, and 20% expected it to improve.

Respondents’ financial security has improved, with 13% saying they had experienced job insecurity in the last 12 months, compared to 19% in 2024. Difficulty affording fuel and bills has also dropped, from 20% in 2024 to 11% in 2025.

Transport

Sixty-three percent of residents said congestion when travelling into and within the city had worsened in the past year, while 9% said it had improved.

Oxfordshire County Council manages transport and travel in Oxford.

Crime and anti-social behaviour

Residents said they felt safe in their local area during the day (90%) and at night (68%), and felt safe in the city centre during the day (88%) and at night (63%).

Respondents said the worst anti-social behaviour problems in their local area were:

• Speeding vehicles or motorbikes / dangerous driving – 61% said it was a problem; 37% said it was not a problem
• Cars parked inconveniently, dangerously or illegally – 47% said it was a problem; 52% said it was not a problem
• Rubbish or litter lying around – 43% said it was a problem; 56% said it was not a problem

Thirty-four percent of respondents agreed that the police and Council are dealing effectively with crime and anti-social behaviour in their area, while 35% disagreed.

Community cohesion 

The number of people who think their area is a place where people from different cultural backgrounds get on together has increased, from 76% in 2023 to 78% in 2024 and 79% in 2025.

For ethnic minority groups, the number has fallen slightly – from 76% in 2023 to 75% in 2025 – but this year’s result is higher than the 66% who agreed in 2024. (Last year’s online survey took place during and immediately after the 2024 summer riots.)

Respondents said the top facilities that helped people get on well together were parks and public spaces (68% agreed; 4% disagreed), cultural events (50% agreed; 7% disagreed) and community centres (45% agreed; 11% disagreed).

Local Government Reorganisation

This year, two additional questions were asked in relation to Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), mirroring questions included in the Council’s public survey of Oxfordshire and West Berkshire residents in July-August.

A majority of residents (62%) agree that councils are most effective when they are smaller and closer to the people they serve, enabling them to respond and adapt more easily to local needs. An even bigger majority (72%) agree that urban and rural areas often require different approaches to housing, transport, education and skills, and other key council services.

The findings are very similar to the results from the public consultation for the same questions, in which 69% agreed councils are more effective when smaller and closer, and 80% agreed urban and rural places need different approaches.

Survey methodology

The Council uses its Residents’ Panel – managed by independent polling company Beehive – to carry out the annual residents’ survey.

The Residents’ Panel is a group of 1,035 Oxford residents that is broadly representative of Oxford, including for age, gender, area and ethnicity.

The online survey took place between 23 July and 15 September.

Comment

“I am pleased that the majority of residents are satisfied with their local area and the way Oxford City Council runs our services – and that these results have improved over the last two years.

“But the results show there is a lot more work to do, particularly the need to tackle Oxford’s housing crisis and significantly increase the delivery of genuinely affordable homes, while we continue to strengthen Oxford’s economy. We wholeheartedly agree that the lack of affordable housing in our city is the most important issue where we can improve people’s experience, which is why we have made building the homes Oxford needs our priority alongside supporting our local economy. Obviously, currently we are not the transport authority so do not have the ability to affect transport policy.

“These are two of the key reasons why we are proposing to reorganise local government in Oxfordshire to create a Greater Oxford Council. By expanding Oxford’s boundaries, we could build over 40,000 new homes.. This would be a gamechanger for affordability in the city and would enable better public transport options too.

“The annual residents’ survey is a vital insight into how Oxford residents are feeling about their city and their services, and we use it every year to help determine our policies and funding going forwards. Thank you to everyone who took part this year.”

Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council