The article presents results of a study among rural population in the south of Tyumen region to gauge social well-being of the villagers, standards and quality of their life. Analysis of current agrarian reform allowed to identify main determinants of reform success in agricultural sector, revealing that the changes did not yield positive results due to the lack of social direction of transformations and consideration of the rural population needs. Both villagers and experts noted inefficient interaction between power structures and rural population in solving life problems, resulting, in their view, in decreased standard and quality of life. Ineffectiveness of regulations of relations in the socio-economic sphere, in turn, makes for low social, political and economic activity of rural population. Comparative analysis of the main results of the research and expert survey of managers in agricultural enterprises and power structures allowed to evaluate and identify causes of their low employment and economic activity and, on the basis of these findings, to make recommendations to power structures at all levels and forms of government.