Blackbird Leys
Oxford 017 · 4 sub-areas · 6,916 residents
Oxford 017 is a residential neighbourhood within Oxford, home to around 6,900 people and one of the more affordable pockets of a notoriously expensive city. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for around £1,650 a month — noticeably below Oxford's city-wide median — though rents still rose by 7% last year. Social housing accounts for a striking 44% of tenures here, shaping the area's character distinctly from Oxford's owner-occupied suburbs.
Blackbird Leys is a mid-density neighbourhood of Oxford in the South East region. It sits between busier and quieter parts of the local authority and isn't dominated by a single use — there's a mix of workplaces, housing and local services.
Overview
What's it like to live in Blackbird Leys?
2 parks and 11 playgrounds are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; Crime sits around the national average — neither a notable concern nor a notable selling point; rents sit firmly in the upper bracket nationally, with a typical home letting at around £1,952 a month; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 4 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Blackbird Leys in Oxford
Living in Blackbird Leys
Oxford 017 sits in a city where housing costs have long outpaced local wages, but this neighbourhood is one of the more accessible corners of that market. The high share of social housing — nearly 44% of homes — gives it a different feel from the polished terraces and Victorian streets that dominate many Oxford postcards. It's a mixed, grounded community rather than the student-and-academic enclave you'd associate with the university's immediate surroundings.
On rent, you'll pay around £1,650 a month for a two-bedroom home — less than many Oxford neighbourhoods, though that's still well above the national median of roughly £1,200. A one-bedroom runs about £1,340 and a three-bedroom reaches around £2,020. Rents climbed 7% over the past year, in line with the broader Oxford market pressure. If affordability is your primary concern, this is one of the more realistic entry points into the city.
The people who live here reflect that tenure mix. Around 24% of residents are aged 18–34, broadly typical for Oxford, but what stands out is the under-18 share of nearly 24% — this is a genuinely family-oriented neighbourhood rather than a transient one. Roughly a quarter of households are single-person, and couples with children account for about 16%. The ethnic diversity index sits at 55.6, and just over 68% of residents were born in the UK — a more varied community than many of Oxford's outer suburbs.
Practically speaking, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 5 km away in straight-line terms, so most residents drive (about 41% commute by car) or use public transport (19%). Greenspace is genuinely accessible: the nearest green space is under 420 metres away, and around 44% of the neighbourhood is within easy walking distance of parks. See the streets and sub-areas below for more on specific pockets within Oxford 017.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Oxford 017 a nice place to live?
- It depends on your priorities. Oxford 017 is one of the more affordable and family-oriented corners of Oxford, with good greenspace access and a mixed community. The crime rate runs above the national average and the school outcomes within catchment are more patchy than the city's better-known neighbourhoods. For families on tighter budgets who want to be in Oxford, it's a realistic option — but it's not a polished postcode.
- What is the rent in Oxford 017?
- A one-bedroom flat runs around £1,340 a month, a two-bedroom around £1,650, and a three-bedroom around £2,020. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose about 7% over the past year. Council tax (Band D) adds roughly £223 a month on top.
- Is Oxford 017 safe?
- Crime sits at around 110 incidents per 1,000 residents a year — above the UK national rate of roughly 80. That's a real difference rather than a statistical blip, and it reflects a pattern across parts of Oxford rather than being unique to this neighbourhood. It's not an extreme outlier, but it's worth weighing if personal safety is a top concern.
- What's the commute from Oxford 017 to Oxford city centre?
- The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 5 km away. About 41% of residents drive to work and 19% use public transport. Oxford's compact enough that cycling or the bus gets most people around without a car, though the data here shows car use is relatively high for an Oxford neighbourhood. Broadband is excellent for anyone working from home.
- Who lives in Oxford 017?
- It's a genuinely mixed community — roughly 44% of homes are social housing, which is well above the Oxford average. Nearly a quarter of residents are under 18, suggesting a significant family presence. About a quarter of households are single-person. The area has an ethnic diversity index of 55.6 and 68% of residents were born in the UK.
- What schools are near Oxford 017?
- There are 52 schools within 2 km of typical residents, so choice isn't the problem. Around half of those are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — noticeably below the national share of about 89%. The nearest Outstanding school is roughly 7.2 km away. If Ofsted rating is a priority, it's worth checking catchment boundaries and current inspection reports carefully.
- How affordable is buying a home in Oxford 017?
- The median sale price is around £329,000. Based on local incomes, it takes an estimated 4.5 years to save a deposit — which is high, though lower than many Oxford postcodes. For private renters, the rent-to-take-home ratio of around 78% signals real financial stretch, making saving that deposit while renting a significant challenge.