What it's like to live in Didcot

South Oxfordshire is a strongly owner occupied area. Across the council area, 70.2% of homes are owned, 15.9% are privately rented and 12% are social rented, below the England figure of 17.1%. Of that social housing, most is housing association rather than council: 10.2% against 1.8%.

Soha Housing Limited is by far the biggest social landlord locally with around 6,006 homes, followed by Sovereign Network Group with 1,074, GreenSquareAccord with 374, Peabody Trust with 326 and Aster Communities with 225. Average weekly social rents in 2024/25 were about £114 for a one bed, £133 for a two bed and £149 for a three bed.

The age profile across the council area leans a little older than England overall, with 20.5% aged 65 and over and 27.9% aged 45 to 64, though under 16s are close to the national share at 18.4%. Didcot itself, with its newer estates, tends to attract younger households and families. The council's housing register held 3,449 households at March 2025, and 401 social homes were let through the council in 2024-25.

Families are well served for schools. Within half a mile of the town centre you will find Willowcroft Community School, Manor Primary School and All Saints Church of England Primary School, with Ladygrove Park Primary School and Northbourne Church of England Primary School just a little further out. That is five primaries inside a short walk or a very short drive.

For older children there is real choice. St Birinus School and Didcot Girls' School are both under a mile from the centre, and UTC Oxfordshire and Aureus School are within about a mile and a half. Having a technical college option on the doorstep is unusual for a town this size. Check admissions criteria early, as catchments matter.

For younger children and weekends, the recreation grounds and parks do a lot of the work: Smallbones, Edmonds Park, Great Western Drive Park, Marsh and Loyd are all close. Didcot Library, the community centres at King Alfred Drive and Northbourne, and the cinema give you options when the weather turns.

Didcot Parkway is the big draw. It is a main line station roughly a third of a mile from the town centre, and several other platforms and halts sit within a mile, including the Main Line Platform, Didcot Halt, Oxford Road and Burlescombe. If you rely on trains for work, study or visiting family, this is one of the better towns in the county for it.

The town is walkable in its central parts. Shops, the library, the cinema, two gyms and the hospital are all within about a mile of each other, so plenty of errands can be done on foot or by bike. Newer estates on the edges mean longer walks, so check the distance from any home you are considering.

Buses link the town centre with the station and the surrounding villages, and the road network gives reasonable access across South Oxfordshire. Driving is straightforward for most trips, but a car is not essential if you live near the centre. Parking varies a lot between older streets and newer developments.

For a town of its size, Didcot has a decent spread of everyday leisure. Cineworld sits right by the Orchard Centre, and there are two gyms within a few minutes of the middle of town, PureGym and Snap Fitness. The shopping centre itself is where most people meet, shop and eat.

Pubs are spread around rather than clustered in one spot. Broadways is closest to the centre, with the Prince of Wales, The Mulberry, The Queens Arms and The Wheatsheaf all within a short distance. They give the town a bit of local character beyond the newer retail areas.

Outdoors, you have a good choice of parks and recreation grounds, all within a mile or so, which is handy for dog walking, football and summer evenings. Community centres, including the Northern Neighbourhood and District centres and Hagbourne Village Hall, host local groups and activities. Didcot Library is a short walk from the shops and is a useful free space for families.

Figures here cover the wider South Oxfordshire council area rather than Didcot alone, but they paint a strong picture. Around 62.9% of adults are in work, well above the England average of 57.4%, and unemployment sits at 2.2% compared with 3.5% nationally.

Benefit claims linked to unemployment were 1.9% of working age residents in September 2026, against 4% across England. In short, this is a part of the country where paid work is relatively easy to find, though wages and housing costs both tend to run high in Oxfordshire.

Didcot's main line station matters for jobs as much as for leisure. Plenty of residents commute out by train or car to work across the county and further afield, while the town itself supports retail, schools, health services and local businesses. UTC Oxfordshire nearby also points to the technical and science employment in this corner of Oxfordshire. If you are moving for work, it is worth checking travel times from the exact street before you commit.