This article describes the data associated with the research paper entitled “Subjective life satisfaction in public housing in urban areas of Ogun State” by Ibem and Amole (2013). A multistage sampling technique and questionnaire were used to extract data from occupants in 517 dwelling units in ten selected government mass housing schemes located in five urban centers in Ogun State, Nigeria. The dataset has 57 different variables describing households’ demographics, dwelling units’ features, supply of basic services, and neighbourhood environment in the residential estates. In addition, it also contains variables used to assess residential satisfaction and satisfaction with life. The Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) file, descriptive statistics for all the variables and questionnaire used to derive the data are provided in this article. The dataset will enhance understanding of the main research findings and conclusions.