A Guide to Living in Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire is a county in the south of England, home to many great schools and universities. The population is around 638,000 people. Oxfordshire has some lovely countryside that would be perfect for anyone looking to move away from city life with their family. If you are considering moving here, this guide will give you all the information you need to know about Oxfordshire!

4.32

Average Location Score

Excellent

50%

Very Good

39%

Average

Disappointing

Very Poor

Best places to live in Oxfordshire

HomeViews Top Rated Development ranking takes into account the Star Rating and HomeViews Transparency Rating of every development in the area

Expand Map

Where is Oxfordshire?

Oxfordshire is a county in England. It has an area of 1,611 square miles and a population of 657,600 people. Oxfordshire is one of the wealthiest areas in Britain with it being ranked as the fourth wealthiest region outside London.

The county borders Warwickshire to the west, Buckinghamshire to the north-west, Berkshire to the north-east, Wiltshire to its south-east corner and Gloucestershire across much of its southern border.

Areas in Oxfordshire

There are many areas in Oxfordshire that make it a great place to live.

The Cotswolds – The area south of Banbury and Burford, west of Chipping Norton, The Cotswolds famous for its rolling hills covered with lush green grass, stone walls (dry-stone walls), hedgerows and little villages like Castle Eaton.

Oxford – One of the world’s most famous university cities and is home to over 38 colleges which are spread throughout the city centre, Oxford has a population of 155,900 living within 15 miles (24 km), making it easy for commuters looking to work here without having to deal with long commutes daily into London.

This makes Oxford popular among those working in management roles or skilled professions such as finance & insurance, education and research or even medicine.

Witney – located around 12 miles (19 km) west of Oxford – is the largest town in Oxfordshire with a population of 28,000. Witney offers an excellent range of high street shops, supermarkets and restaurants as well as popular pubs and leisure facilities.

Banbury – Banbury is a historic market town located on the River Cherwell which flows through West Oxfordshire before meandering towards Warwickshire to join up with The Thames near Cricklade. There’s plenty for visitors here including the impressive 14th century St Mary’s Church, made from white limestone quarried locally at Kirtlington.

Universities in Oxfordshire

There are three universities located in Oxfordshire: the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes and The Oxford School of Drama.

Oxford University – The University of Oxford is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, with over 22,000 students enrolled. It is ranked first in the UK for employability and second in Europe.

Oxford Brookes – Oxford Brookes is situated about eight miles south of Oxford, between the River Thames and the A40. It has over 16,000 students enrolled studying across three campuses in Oxfordshire and specialises in art, design and media.

The Oxford School of Drama – is part of the University of Oxford and is a world-class drama school that trains actors for stage, film and television. It also runs two theatre companies: the Young Players (for children) and OUDS (the University Dramatic Society).

Top Schools in Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire plays host to some excellent schools, some of which are ranked in the top ten in the UK, including:

The Cherwell School – This secondary school is located in Oxford and was founded in 1571. It has over 1500 students and is regularly ranked as one of the best schools in the country.

Radley College – A prestigious independent boarding school, Radley College is situated just outside Abingdon-on-Thames. The college dates back to 1847 and has a current enrolment of just over 900 boys.

King’s School – Situated in Witney, King’s School is an all-boys preparatory school that caters for pupils from ages three to thirteen. The school has been educating young people since 1653 and boasts a large sports department with over forty different teams.

Population of Oxfordshire

The population of Oxfordshire is around 620,000 people. The county is predominantly rural, with a number of market towns and villages dotted throughout. Major towns in Oxfordshire include Abingdon-on-Thames, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Henley-on-Thames, Thame and Witney.

Featured developments in Oxfordshire

Reviews in Oxfordshire

Write a Review

Well-Planned Development with Eco Features

Verified Resident

Review Date Oct 2024

Living in this area is mostly great. The area is clean, and the community is friendly, with helpful neighbours all around. While on-street parking is very limited, each house does have its own garage and driveway, which helps. The estate is really missing a grocery shop, which would have been incredibly convenient. Bin collections are reliable, and there’s minimal traffic noise or anti-social behaviour, making it a peaceful and pleasant place to live. Open spaces are available, though they could benefit from more attention and upkeep.

Please review your development:

The development is generally well-planned, with a modern design and eco-friendly features like solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems. However, the green spaces around the estate need more attention and upkeep. The houses are warm and well-built, but they lack sufficient storage space inside, which is a drawback. While the solar panels are a great addition, the rainwater harvesting systems are faulty in many homes, leading to ongoing issues. Unfortunately, the developers do not respond promptly to complaints, and residents often have to chase them multiple times to resolve problems, which has been quite frustrating.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish I knew that there is no plan to build a grocery shop. I was told that it will be build within a year of us moving in, however after 3 years here we still do not have a shop that we can walk to.

What is the best feature of your home:

Solar panels and wall insulation. The house is warm in winter and does not require much heating.

Facilities

Design

Location

Value

Management

Read all Read less

Great neighbours & beautiful area

Verified Resident

Review Date Oct 2024

Amazing neighbours, beautiful area to live in. You couldn’t get a better community of people to live amongst.

Please review your development:

Property management is terrible. That’s the only downside is that you have to scream to be heard. The design is great. I think the area has always been very pretty and plenty of open space which is great as we walk a lot. Facilities, some are great but we have been let down with a lack of shops.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

How awful A2 Dominion is to deal with. Otherwise all good.

What is the best feature of your home:

The area, the size of the property for your money.

Facilities

Design

Location

Value

Management

Read all Read less

Lovely community, peaceful and quiet

Verified Resident

Review Date Oct 2024

The good aspects, the communal grow beds are great to use, close to the fields. It’s quiet, there are regular buses in case we need it. Our elderly neighbours use it often. We share one electric car which we charge at home in the parking spot. I share the car with my husband and we are happy with our 2 parking spaces: one for visitors. 20-30 mins to the nearest shop, so I prefer to drive. Only issue, sometimes, there are discarded rubbish by the glass collection point which is a pity. Some neighbouring houses in Phase 3 leave broken bikes and bins lying around which annoys me. They should be warned/penalised.

Please review your development:

The house quality and size is fantastic (I am in Phase 2). The cafe in the Eco Business Center is lovely to see neighbours. I am part of the knitting club, there is a gardening club and board games club. A lovely community overall. Clean streets and good ground maintenance. The private garden and areas near some homes is bad as they do not discard their broken bikes properly which lets everyone down.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

To check for snags in the garden and shed as the felt on the shed roof had to be replaced already (5 years in)

What is the best feature of your home:

The triple glazing, the patio doors and garden. The solar panels and underground water collector.

Facilities

Design

Location

Value

Management

Read all Read less

Poor consideration for families

Review Date Jul 2024

Anti social behaviour , delivery drivers bike stolen outside the flats. Given one month notice for controlled parking permits which gives no option to people with more then one car. Not all of us work in the city and have no other option. The whole road is controlled by the building site which causes hardship to get in and out of the road, makes noise well past 6pm some days and are bringing in cranes at 5.30am with council approval. Construction workers think they are in charge and give little regard to those that live here and just want to get home.

Please review your development:

Development is quite nice, landscaped areas could be kept better. Some anti social behaviour, building site works beyond regulation hours of making noise, transport links not that great, parking restrictions coming in will be a real hardship for working families who need two vehicles to make a living.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Wish we’d known about how long and how much of a disturbance the building work opposite would be. Also mainly that they were going to only allow one car per household. No idea what we will do as one of our vehicles is a work one which only has three seats and has to be close to the flat for security. The other is a family car and I do not feel comfortable parking it up in Sanford in Thames by the mental health hospital. Transport links from littlemore not good enough to get rid of a car for our family. The ltns are a real nuisance and would love to see scientific proof that they have benefited the environment around litleemore/east Oxford.