What it's like to live in Oadby

Oadby is strongly owner-occupied. Across the borough, 75.2% of homes are owned, 16% privately rented and only 7.9% socially rented, split between 4.9% council and 3% housing association. That is well below the England figure of 17.1%, so social homes here are genuinely scarce and tend to be held onto.

Average weekly social rents in the council area for 2025/26 are about £89 for a one bed, £103 for two beds and £110 for three beds. The largest social landlord is Oadby and Wigston Borough Council with 1,172 homes, followed by Platform Housing (221), The Riverside Group (141), Paragon Asra Housing (124) and Sage Homes (78).

The age profile is close to the national picture but a bit older at the top end: 21.3% are 65 or over, against 18.4% for England, with 25.5% aged 45 to 64. The borough's housing register held 1,207 households at 31 March 2025, with 45 council lettings in 2024-25.

Families are well served here. Launde Primary School is barely a few minutes' walk away, with Langmoor Primary School, Brocks Hill Primary School, Saint John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy and Glenmere Community Primary School all within a mile. That choice is unusual for a town this size, though places still depend on catchment and the year group.

Secondary options are close too. Gartree High School, Beauchamp College and Manor High School are all under a mile, with Judgemeadow Community College and the independent Leicester High School for Girls not much further. Beauchamp in particular draws students from a wide area for sixth form.

Outside school, there is plenty to fill weekends. Brocks Hill, Uplands Park and Coombe Park give space to run about, Oadby Library runs as a local hub, and Oadby Youth Centre and Oadby & Leicester Gymnastics Club give older children something structured. Around 18.5% of the borough's residents are under 16, close to the England figure, so there are other families around.

Oadby is built for walking locally. The shops, library, pharmacies, parks and several schools all sit within a mile of each other, so plenty of daily trips can be done on foot or by bike without much trouble.

For longer journeys, buses along the main road into Leicester are the usual option, and the city centre is only a few miles north. By car you are well placed for Leicester and the surrounding Leicestershire villages, though the routes into the city can be slow at peak times. Parking varies a lot street by street, so check what comes with any home you are considering.

Trains are the weaker point. The nearest station is South Wigston, about 2.6 miles away, which means a bus, drive or a long walk to reach it. If you rely on rail for work, factor that extra leg into your day before you commit to a swap.

Green space is the strength. Uplands Park is the closest, Iliffe Avenue Park and Coombe Park are handy for a short walk, and Brocks Hill gives you something closer to countryside without leaving town. Knighton Park, just over a mile away, is a bigger option for longer walks.

For sport and fitness there is Parklands Leisure Centre, Studio PLT and the gymnastics club, with more gyms over in Wigston. Oadby Library covers books, computers and community activities, and Wigston, Evington and Knighton libraries are all within easy reach if you want a change.

Socially, Oadby keeps a village-pub feel in places. The Wheel Inn, The Fox Inn, The Black Dog, the Sports Lounge and the Royal British Legion are all in or near the centre. For bigger nights out, the Odeon cinema is about three miles away and Leicester city centre adds the rest, from restaurants to live music.

Across the Oadby and Wigston council area, 55% of adults are in work, a little below the England figure of 57.4%. Unemployment sits at 3.1%, slightly under the 3.5% England average, and unemployment-related benefit claimants were 3% of working-age residents in September 2026 against 4% nationally. In short, this is a steady local labour market rather than a struggling one.

Much of the work is in Leicester rather than Oadby itself, and the city is close enough to make commuting normal. Locally, the schools, colleges, shops, supermarkets, leisure centre and the hospitals nearby are visible employers, including Spire Leicester Hospital just over a mile away and Leicester General at 2.3 miles.

If you are moving for a job, check the travel time properly first. Getting into central Leicester is easy enough, but reaching places that need a train means the trip out to South Wigston station.