City Pop. 160,071

Living in Oxford: Liveability Score 63/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Oxford scores 63/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 79/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 36/100 versus a median of 88/100.

No other settlement in the OX1 postcode district scores higher. Oxford leads all 6. That sits 13 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. Lifestyle (81) also clears 80/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: OX1 postcode district.

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Settlement area

The built-up area boundary and the postcodes its score is averaged from, each shaded by its own score. Clustered pins are other settlements. Tap one to view or compare it, or zoom in to reveal more.

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Each postcode is coloured by its own overall score on the default weighting. Scores are filled in as postcodes get searched on the site, so a blue dot just means that postcode hasn't been scored yet.

Oxford scores 63 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Oxford.

Or compare:

OX1 1AA OX1 2AA OX1 3AD OX1 4AB OX1 5AA OX1 9AA OX1 OX2 OX3 OX4

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

111.1 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3

Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months

Violence and sexual offences 6,086 crimes

↑ 14% above national average

Shoplifting 2,080 crimes

↑ 67% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 1,584 crimes

↓ 35% below national average

Other theft 1,549 crimes

↑ 56% above national average

Public order 1,495 crimes

↑ 43% above national average

other 4,992 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Supermarket 1,061 crimes
2 Shopping Area 522 crimes
3 Further/Higher Educational Building 485 crimes

Source: data.police.uk · England & Wales only

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 9.7 · PM2.5 7.1 · PM10 11.5 µg/m³

Green Space 85

Parks Ample 117

Sports Pitches Ample 271

Allotments Ample 25

Golf Courses Ample 5

Tennis Courts Ample 184

Bowling Greens Ample 10

Playgrounds Ample 164

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 55 in area

6Outstanding43Good3Requires Improvement3Ungraded

Headington Quarry Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Northern House AcademySpecial · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Oxfordshire Hospital SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Slade Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2021
Outstanding
The Cherwell SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
Outstanding
The Iffley AcademySpecial · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Barton Park Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Bayards Hill SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Cheney SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
Good
Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Healthcare

A&E departmentsJohn Radcliffe Hospitalin area

Stoke Mandeville Hospital16.3 mi

The Horton General Hospital17.9 mi

Hospital waitsBerkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust1.3 mi

Routine referral (median)4 wks

Treated within 18 weeks100%

A&E seen within 4 hrs99%

17 GP surgeries in area best 'Outstanding'

GP capacity1,728 patients per GP

29dentists24pharmacies

Score reflects proximity to CQC-rated GP surgeries and hospitals, not facility count. Dentists and pharmacies are shown for context but don't affect the score.

Broadband

Full fibre (FTTP)40.1%

available across Oxford

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

81.2%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

84.2%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

98.1%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 3,196 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate55.1%

Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+

Economic activity (16+)

Employed55.1%Unemployed3.1%Retired13.3%Student19.4%Other inactive9.1%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial50.7%Skilled & technical25.4%Routine & elementary23.9%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications12.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)6.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)8%Level 3 (A levels)19.6%Level 4+ (degree & above)48%Apprenticeship3.1%Other (incl. vocational)2.3%

Home ownership49%

Among the least-deprived 34% of areas in England

Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD

Bills

Council tax Oxford · 2026-27

A £1,785

B £2,083

C £2,380

D £2,678

E £3,273

F £3,868

G £4,463

H £5,356

Energy Southern England region

Typical bill regional £1,641/yr

Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026

Typical home efficiency local EPC band D

Water Thames Water

Average bill regional £489/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Oxford 1.5 mi

Oxford Parkway 4.1 mi

Radley 4.5 mi

J8A M40 5.9 mi

J8A M40 6.2 mi

J8 M40 7 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 125

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 384

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 139

Retail Shopping Ample 759

Takeaways Ample 153

Fitness Ample 105

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House Prices

Current median sale prices · last 12 months · England & Wales only

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£446,000	718
Detached	£815,000	68
Semi-detached	£475,000	240
Terraced	£460,000	234
Flat / Maisonette	£325,000	176

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data (OGL v3.0)

Frequently asked questions

Is Oxford a nice place to live?

Oxford is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Oxford is 63/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Oxford?

Oxford has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 36/100. There were 17,786 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Oxford?

Among the top-rated schools in Oxford are Headington Quarry Nursery School, Northern House Academy and Oxfordshire Hospital School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 55 rated schools in Oxford in total.

What are house prices like in Oxford?

The current median house price in Oxford is £446,000, around 56% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £815,000, semi-detached £475,000, terraced £460,000, flat £325,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 2%. There were 718 sales recorded in the past 12 months.