More than three-quarters of Oxford residents are satisfied with their local area, while almost two in three are satisfied with the way Oxford City Council runs things, according to a new survey.
Confidence in the city's economy is also improving, but housing, infrastructure and anti-social behaviour remain concerns.
The Council carries out its Residents' Survey each year to understand residents' views on council services and wider issues affecting the city.
Overall, the survey found:
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall satisfaction with the way the Council runs things | 52% | 54% | 60% | 61% |
| Believes the Council keeps you very/fairly well informed | 48% | 55% | 63% | 62% |
| Believes the Council engages you in the policy making process or service design | 41% | 45% | 53% | 43% |
| Believes that the Oxford economy is really thriving / on the way up | 36% | 35% | 43% | 48% |
| Overall satisfaction with my local area as a place to live | 66% | 70% | 77% | 77% |
Satisfaction with services
The top five issues that Oxford residents said make somewhere a good place to live were:
- Public transport (48%)
- Parks and open spaces (45%)
- Level of crime (44%)
- Clean streets and park areas (42%)
- Infrastructure for walking and cycling around (38%)
Satisfaction with Council services was highest for parks and open spaces (87% satisfied), museums (82%) and recycling and refuse collection (79%). The highest level of dissatisfaction was with local bus services (24% dissatisfied).
Only a quarter (25%) of Oxford residents were satisfied that the Council is building enough homes, compared with 31% who were dissatisfied. However, this has increased from the 14% of residents who said they were satisfied that the Council is building enough homes in 2025.Residents said the top priorities for pursuing net zero were supporting and enabling the retrofit of private and public sector housing, planting more trees, and supporting and enabling zero-carbon public transport.
Oxford's economy
Oxford residents have an increasingly positive view of the state of Oxford's economy, with 48% believing it is really thriving or on the way up, compared with 43% in 2025 and 35% in 2024.
Fifty six percent of residents said their personal financial circumstances had stayed the same over the last 12 months, while 12% said they had improved and 28% said they had worsened.
The top five economic issues residents said they had been affected by over the last 12 months were:
- Not being able to buy a home or move home (24%)
- Job insecurity or increased risk of losing your job (24%)
- Not being able to afford to go on holiday (18%)
- Difficulties paying fuel and energy bills (17%)
- Difficulties affording to buy food (15%)
Antisocial behaviour
The majority of Oxford residents said they felt safe in their local area during the day, with 91% feeling safe and 4% unsafe. At night, 68% felt safe and 20% unsafe.
The issues residents were most likely to identify as problems in their local area were:
- Speeding vehicles or motorbikes / dangerous driving (61%)
- Cars parked inconveniently, dangerously or illegally (57%)
- Fly tipping (48%)
- People using or dealing drugs (42%)
- Rubbish or litter lying around (41%)
Residents were split on whether the police and the Council were dealing effectively with the antisocial behaviour and crime issues that matter in their area, with 37% agreeing and 37% disagreeing.
Residents' Survey
Oxford City Council has carried out the Residents' Survey every year since 2023.
The annual survey is carried out using the Council's Residents' Panel, a demographically representative group of about 1,000 Oxford residents.
This year's survey ran from 30 July to 28 September and was completed by 343 panel members.
Comment
"I am pleased that, overall, residents are satisfied with their local area and the way the Council runs things, and that they're feeling more optimistic about the city's economy.
"The results align closely with our priorities and the work we're doing, from building 2,000 homes through OX Place over the next decade and promoting the Oxford Living Wage, to providing grants and support for residents struggling with the cost of food and bills.
"But they also show where we need to do more. We need more homes that people can afford, the infrastructure to support them and more secure, well-paid jobs. It is deeply concerning that almost a quarter of residents said they had been affected by job insecurity or an increased risk of losing their job over the last year.
"That is why we want to create a Greater Oxford Council and a Mayor for the Thames Valley. A Greater Oxford Council would give Oxford the space it needs to build more homes and create well-paid, secure jobs, while protecting important habitats across our Green Belt. A Mayor would help bring the investment and powers needed to transform our economy and deliver the homes and infrastructure Oxford and the wider area desperately need.
"We will continue to use these findings to shape our priorities and spending decisions over the coming months. I would like to thank everyone who took part in the survey and shared their views."
Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council
