Downtown Oxford, Mississippi
Ed. Note: Where to Retire shares desired destinations for those wishing to relocate after retirement. Provided by author Warren R. Bland, these summaries offer a quick overview of the most desired retirement communities.
By Warren Bland
With its picturesque courthouse square, magnolia-studded University of Mississippi campus and street and neighborhood scenes seemingly lifted from the novels of native son William Faulkner, Oxford, Mississippi is the quintessential southern college town perfect for people after retirement.
Landscape: Located in north central Mississippi and nestled among rolling hills, Oxford has an extraordinarily beautiful natural landscape consisting of a luxuriant mix of oak and pine, large magnolias and flowering shrubs and vines.
Climate: Oxford’s summers are hot and humid; winters are mild. Spring and autumn weather is generally pleasant. The town is frost free 210 days and sunny about 63% of the time.
Quality of Life: Excellent. Oxford is clean, uncrowded and well planned. Its pleasant, wooded residential neighborhoods reflect the community’s moderate affluence, good taste and concern for historic preservation.
Housing: Housing costs approximate the national average. A variety of housing styles are available, from grand pre-Civil War and smaller historic homes to modern bungalows.
Goods and Services: Goods and services in Oxford are priced at or slightly below their national averages.
Taxes: State and local taxes are 9.3% of income compared to the U.S. average of 9.7%. State income and property taxes are low but sales and excise taxes are high. Seniors receive a break on property taxes, and all income from pensions and social security is exempt from state income tax.
Transportation: Most residents drive or take taxis. The State of Mississippi Elderly and Handicapped Transit Service provides shuttle service. Greyhound provides intercity bus service. Jet and rail service are provided in Memphis, 65 miles away.
Retail Services: Oxford’s charming Downtown Square offers unique and distinctly upscale shopping. Oxford Mall provides traditional mall shopping.
Health Care: Baptist Memorial Hospital–North Mississippi serves Oxford and much of northern Mississippi. Additional medical services are only an hour away in Memphis.
Community Services: Oxford, Lafayette County, the University of Mississippi and religious and community organizations offer a fine variety of services to residents.
Cultural and Educational Activities: Ole Miss offers continuing studies courses, museum displays, art collections and a full schedule of theatrical and musical productions. The Gertrude C. Ford Performing Arts Center hosts additional productions.
Recreational Activities: Recreational opportunities appealing to most tastes are found in and around Oxford, including spectator sports and participatory activities. Sample the fare at one of the city’s fine restaurants.
Work and Volunteer Activities: Many part-time jobs are available in the service sector. Volunteer service is a way of life for many in the community.
Crime Rates and Public Safety: Oxford is one of the safest communities in the country, with overall violent and property crime rates about 70% and 30% below national averages, respectively. The town feels very secure and residents do not hesitate to walk its streets at any time of day or night.
Conclusion: Wondering where to retire? An idyllic little college town, Oxford, Mississippi ranks as one of America’s best places for sophisticated retirement in an exceptionally beautiful and unspoiled setting.
(Ratings courtesy of “Retire in Style, 60 Outstanding Places Across the USA and Canada” by Warren R. Bland, PhD (www.nextdecade.com)