City profile · Mississippi · Census ACS 2023

Oxford, MS

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Oxford - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

26,086
Residents
$59,901
Median income
$333,400
Median home
$1,243
Median rent (state)

Oxford - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Oxford lands in the 35th percentile for household income and the 33rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

35th
percentile, household income
70th
percentile, home value
40th
percentile, median rent
33rd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Oxford, MS

Oxford is a small city in Mississippi, home to 26,086 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Oxford brings in $59,901 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 8.9%. Oxford's housing stock carries a median value of $333,400, and the median resident age is 30.6 years. 56.9% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 57.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 307 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 51% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 1979.7 crimes per 100,000 residents, near the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Mississippi run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Mississippi scores 87.0 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,243 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Mississippi's average monthly utility costs around $223 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 64.4 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).

Population

26,086 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Mississippi

Median Household Income

$59,901 /yr

Poverty 8.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.0 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Mississippi average

How does Oxford compare to other US cities?

Oxford measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 35% higher than other cities
Home value 70% pricier than other cities
Median rent 40% pricier than other cities
Safety 33% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Mississippi alone, Oxford ranks #32 of 56 Mississippi cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Oxford against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Mississippi only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Mississippi-relative analysis

Median Home Value is Oxford's strongest outlier among Mississippi cities

Among the 348 Mississippi cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Oxford ranks #3 - the 99th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Oxford only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#88 of 345
74th percentile in Mississippi
Median Gross Rent
#34 of 395
90th percentile in Mississippi
Median Home Value
#3 of 348
99th percentile in Mississippi
Poverty Rate
#276 of 393
30th percentile in Mississippi
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#11 of 394
97th percentile in Mississippi

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Mississippi only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

35thIncome percentile
33rdSafety percentile

35th percentile nationally for median household income · 33rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Oxford's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Oxford's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 38 Avg. percentile National median
Oxford's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Oxford's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$333,400 30th percentile more affordable than 30% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Oxford $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Oxford, MS Oxford, MS's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Oxford, MS-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Oxford, MS median $59,901/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Oxford, MS's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Oxford, MS. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 56.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 57.8%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
26,086
Median Income
$59,901
Median Home Value
$333,400
Median Age
30.6
Poverty Rate
8.9%
Labor force participation
57.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
56.9%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1979.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
127.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1852.6
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
11
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
25,000 residents25,500 residents26,000 residents26,500 residents27,000 residents27,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 25,587 residents 26,773 residents ▲ +4.6%
Oxford's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
307
housing units authorized
Single-Family
235
detached homes
Multifamily
72
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
11.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 203
2020 132
2021 170
2022 248
2023 269
2024 307

Permit volume increased 51% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
82.4%
Carpool
5.4%
Public Transit
2.0%
Walk
3.4%
Work from Home
5.8%
Other
1.0%

Based on 12,479 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Mississippi - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$135
avg/month
Natural Gas
$50
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$38
avg/month
Total Utilities
$223
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Mississippi state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Mississippi state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Oxford sits in

Cost of Living Index
87.0
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,243/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
64.4 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Mississippi

Starkville
25,611 people
Horn Lake
26,622 people
Brandon
25,352 people
Clinton
27,418 people
Pearl
27,458 people
Ridgeland
24,548 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Oxford's 26,086 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Conway, SC
26,082 people
Ridgewood, NJ
26,076 people
Medina, OH
26,040 people
North Tustin, CA
26,038 people
Ives Estates, FL
26,154 people
East Chicago, IN
26,158 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Oxford's $59,901 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Tilton Northfield, NH
$59,902 median income
Oakland, MD
$59,904 median income
Emlyn, KY
$59,911 median income
Newton, AL
$59,915 median income
Groesbeck, OH
$59,886 median income
Portville, NY
$59,917 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Oxford, MS Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Oxford, MS - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 67.5% 25.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.0% White 67.5% Black or African American 25.7% Asian 2.8% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.5% Two or more races 2.4% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Oxford compares to nearby Mississippi cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Oxford (this city) 26,086 $59,901
Starkville 25,611 $39,751
Horn Lake 26,622 $56,847
Brandon 25,352 $93,073
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MS FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Oxford, MS?

What is the population of Oxford, MS? +

The population of Oxford, MS stands at 26,086 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Oxford, MS? +

In Oxford, the typical household earns $59,901 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Oxford? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Oxford; the closest available measure is the Mississippi state average, a cost of living index of 87.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Mississippi vary by metro area.

Is Oxford, MS safe? +

Oxford has a total crime rate of 1979.7 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Oxford, MS? +

A typical home in Oxford is worth $333,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.