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Living in
Oxford.
About
Life in Oxford
Moving to Oxford means buying into a college-town rhythm where the University of Mississippi's calendar and events set much of the pace. Downtown offers genuine walkability with locally owned restaurants, bookstores, and cultural venues like the Lyric Theater, plus access to regional attractions within an hour or so—Memphis for music and dining, the Natchez Trace for hiking, Civil War battlefields for history buffs. The climate is humid subtropical, meaning hot summers and mild winters, with the forested hills providing some visual appeal, though you'll need a car for most daily life outside the immediate downtown core.
Oxford at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
30.3 yrs
Poverty Rate
25.4%
Foreign-Born
4.4%
Broadband Internet
90.7%
of households
Population Growth
+5.0%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics4.4% foreign-born, most often from Vietnam
Who lives in Oxford: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Oxford, the largest foreign-born group is from Vietnam (15.8%), and 1.6% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
18.0%
of residents
65 and Older
13.9%
of residents
Households with Kids
19.9%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
36.8%
of households
Married Couples
38.6%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.58
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 12% above MS average
Rent, home values, and income in Oxford
In Oxford, rent runs 12% above the MS average, and home values are 127% above the MS average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
49.4%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
29.6%
spending 50%+
Median Property Tax
$2,845
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
43.2%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
2000
median year built
Vacant Homes
40.4%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $415,283 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 1 pts below MS average
Unemployment in Oxford
Unemployment in Oxford is 1 percentage points lower than the MS average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Oxford Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute23.5 min avg
How Oxford residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Oxford, most residents drive alone to work (78%), and 75% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 43 mi
Tupelo Regional Airport (TUP)
Regional airport · few flights18k passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 57% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Oxford runs 57% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
140.1
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,278.7
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Oxford Police Department
Natural DisastersHeat most common — 26 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
64.4 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Lafayette County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Lafayette County, which includes Oxford, the most common type is heat, with 26 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | Thunderstorm Wind | $362,500 |
| 2024 | 27 | Heat | $72,000 |
| 2023 | 32 | Thunderstorm Wind | $191,000 |
| 2022 | 21 | Heat | $75,000 |
| 2021 | 16 | Thunderstorm Wind | $452,000 |
| 2020 | 8 | Thunderstorm Wind | $67,000 |
| 2019 | 8 | Heat | $7,000 |
| 2018 | 12 | Heat | $400,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Lafayette County, county-wide
Air Quality34 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Yalobusha County, MS (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 25 miles from Oxford) is typically good — 342 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
34
Good Days
342
per year
Moderate Days
12
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: Yalobusha County, MS (25 mi away)
Climate90°F summers, 33°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Oxford has hot summers (avg high 90°F) and mild winters (avg low 33°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
74°/50°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
90°/69°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
76°/50°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
55°/33°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
60.5"
Annual Snowfall
1.2"
Hot Days/Year
74
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
68
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
122
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52°F | 31°F | 5.13" |
| Feb | 57°F | 34°F | 5.82" |
| Mar | 66°F | 41°F | 5.61" |
| Apr | 74°F | 49°F | 6.30" |
| May | 82°F | 59°F | 5.35" |
| Jun | 89°F | 67°F | 5.22" |
| Jul | 91°F | 70°F | 4.35" |
| Aug | 91°F | 69°F | 3.90" |
| Sep | 86°F | 62°F | 3.99" |
| Oct | 76°F | 49°F | 4.10" |
| Nov | 64°F | 40°F | 4.30" |
| Dec | 55°F | 33°F | 6.45" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 4.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Oxford
Oxford has 1 hospital, averaging 4.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating — above-average care.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
9.5%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
4.0 / 5
Baptist Memorial Hospital North Ms
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education13.1:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Oxford
Oxford's student/teacher ratio is 13.1:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 57.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
12
within city limits
Private Schools
2
within city limits
College Degree Rate
57.5%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
13.1:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Tupelo National Battlefield, 46 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Oxford
Oxford has 6 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Tupelo National Battlefield (46 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Tupelo National Battlefield
National Battlefield
46 mi awayBrices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site
National Battlefield Site
47 mi awayNatchez Trace National Scenic Trail
National Scenic Trail
47 mi awayNatchez Trace Parkway
Parkway
49 mi awayEmmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument
National Monument
55 mi awayShiloh National Military Park
National Military Park
86 mi awayPublic Libraries in Oxford
Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library
401 Bramlett Boulevard, Oxford
Cities Near Oxford
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Oxford?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Oxford FAQ
Is Oxford, Mississippi affordable?⌄
Oxford's median rent is $1,071/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $64,451/year. Median home value is $385,700.
Is Oxford, Mississippi safe?⌄
Oxford's violent crime rate was 140 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1279 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Oxford, Mississippi?⌄
Oxford has an unemployment rate of 2.8%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Oxford, Mississippi?⌄
The cost of living in Oxford is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,071/month and median household income is $64,451/year. The median home value is $385,700. About 49% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Oxford, Mississippi?⌄
The average commute in Oxford is 24 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from