Cotroceni Tops Quality of Life Rankings in Bucharest, While Ploiești Scores Lowest Nationwide

Brașov (score: 80.9), Sibiu (80.8), and Oradea (80.6) lead the rankings of cities with the highest resident satisfaction, each scoring over 80 out of 100, according to data collected by Storia, the real estate listing platform launched by OLX.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the lowest levels of satisfaction were recorded in Ploiești (63.6), Alexandria (65.1), and Tulcea (65.7). Bucharest ranks only 24th, with a score of 71.8, while Cluj-Napoca takes 5th place with 78.7.

The T.R.A.I. Index, available at trai.storia.ro, includes both objective data (from sources such as Google Traffic, Google Places, Airly, and Storia) and subjective responses from residents across various neighborhoods and cities.

Measuring Resident Satisfaction

One of the subjective indicators analyzed is the "Satisfaction Level", which reflects the general perception of residents regarding quality of life in their neighborhoods or cities. This is based on over 107,000 responses to the statement:

“I am satisfied with my neighborhood.”

Each indicator is represented by a score, with values closer to 100 indicating higher satisfaction.

Top Cities by Resident Satisfaction

The top-performing cities in terms of resident satisfaction are:

• Brașov – 80.9
• Sibiu – 80.8
• Oradea – 80.6
• Râmnicu Vâlcea – 79.1
• Cluj-Napoca – 78.7
• Iași – 76.9
• Botoșani – 76.2
• Miercurea Ciuc – 76.2
• Pitești – 75.2
• Craiova – 75.1
• Sfântu Gheorghe – 75.0
• Alba Iulia – 75.0

In contrast, the cities with the lowest satisfaction scores are:

• Ploiești – 63.6
• Alexandria – 65.1
• Călărași / Tulcea – 65.7
• Deva – 66.2
• Reșița – 68.4
• Constanța / Târgu Mureș – 70.0
• Baia Mare – 70.7
• Piatra Neamț / Giurgiu – 71.6
• Bacău – 71.7

While the overall differences aren't extreme, they do indicate clear variations in how urban life is perceived across cities.

Best and Worst-Rated Neighborhoods Nationwide

Among the best-rated neighborhoods based on satisfaction scores:

• Orizont (Buzău) – 91
• Valea Cetății (Brașov) – 90.7
• Trei Stejari & Valea Aurie (Sibiu) – 90.2
• Ștrand I (Sibiu) – 89.9
• Copou (Iași) – 89.4
• Ștrand II (Sibiu) – 88.2
• Universității (Oradea) – 88.1
• Moara de Vânt (Iași) – 87.5
• Zorilor (Cluj-Napoca) – 87.4
• Tineretului (Sibiu) – 87.3

Conversely, the lowest satisfaction scores were reported in:

• Bereasca (Ploiești) – 47.1
• CET (Constanța) – 52.9
• Inel 1 (Constanța) – 53.8
• Palas (Constanța) – 54.2
• Romanești (Craiova) – 54.5
• Anadolchioi (Constanța) – 55.4
• Bulevardul București (Ploiești) – 55.4
• Micro 40 (Galați) – 55.7
• Bariera Vâlcii (Craiova) – 55.9
• Malu Roșu (Ploiești) – 57.0
• Mihai Bravu (Ploiești) – 57.1

These scores suggest a correlation between city-level satisfaction and neighborhood ratings, though some notable exceptions show that standout neighborhoods can exist even in lower-rated cities, highlighting the diversity of urban experiences.

Life in Bucharest: Stark Contrasts Between Neighborhoods

In the capital city, satisfaction scores vary widely between neighborhoods. The highest-rated neighborhoods are:

• Cotroceni – 83.3
• Aviatorilor – 82.9
• Titan – 81.7
• Vatra Luminoasă – 80.8
• Sălăjan – 80.2

All of these score above 80 out of 100.

On the other hand, the neighborhoods with the lowest satisfaction include:

• Gara de Nord – 57.3
• Ferentari – 60.2
• Colentina – 60.5
• Pantelimon – 61.8
• Militari – 62.1

These findings reveal significant disparities in how residents experience life in Bucharest, suggesting that urban quality of life in the capital is highly dependent on neighborhood.