Average house price compared with resident median annual pay.
Oxford Wages, Employment and Property Affordability
Resident earnings, employment, unemployment and affordability context for reading Oxford prices and rents.
Apr 2025-Mar 2026 / ASHE 2026
Oxford wages, employment and affordability
Resident earnings and labour-market context help explain local affordability, rental pressure and housing demand.
Resident population
165,940
ONS 2025
Median resident annual pay
£43,020
Oxford
Median resident weekly pay
£827
Full-time employees
Employment rate
81.7%
Aged 16-64
Unemployment rate
3.4%
Economically active
Average monthly rent compared with estimated monthly earnings.
Labour market rates are from the ONS Annual Population Survey profile shown by Nomis. Where the local APS unemployment value is suppressed, the ONS model-based unemployment estimate is used. Earnings are ONS ASHE resident-analysis median full-time employee earnings. Annual pay is annualised from weekly pay for display context.
Incomes Explain Affordability Pressure
Wage and employment data does not predict house prices by itself. It gives demand-side context: how average prices and rents compare with resident earnings, whether employment conditions support demand, and where affordability pressure may limit the buyer or renter pool.
Oxford’s labour market profile shows a city with a relatively strong earnings and employment base. According to ONS/Nomis, the resident population was 165,940 in 2025.
That scale matters because it points to a large local workforce and a broad household base, rather than a small commuter settlement.