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Book Aficionados Will Love Living in Literary Oxford, Mississippi

Cost of Living:  Below the National Average

There are many reasons to chose to live in this historic southern town of 14,000 people, but its literary tradition is one of its top calling cards.  Oxford, located in rolling hills just south of the Tennessee line, is home to the University of Mississippi ("Ole Miss") and has been the inspiration for writers William Faulkner, John Grisham, Willie Morris and Cynthia Shearer, as well as many others.  Residents talk of the town's famous "literary mystique," that intangible something that gets the creative juices flowing and beckons to poets, novelists, and, yes, families.  Oxford offers a rich, cosmopolitan (but laid-back) culture at an affordable price.

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Much of life in Oxford happens in the historic downtown Square where restaurants (more than 50, including the Downtown Grill and Proud Larry's), coffeehouses, pubs, banks, art galleries, law offices, condos with colorful balconies, markets and the famous Square Books bookstore (where book signings take place and where John Grisham is said to hang-out) are located.  Students help keep the area lively, but everyone seems to enjoy the festive atmosphere.  

 

Once a year, the University of Mississippi hosts the Oxford Conference for the Book, a week-long event that brings some of the nation's most authoritative writers, poets and publishers to town.  It is open to the public and well-attended year in and year out.  Each August, the University also presents another literary conference, the Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference, which brings in Faulkner scholars from around the world (Faulkner's home is still here and open for tours).   Oxford and its residents seem to love the magic that these events bring to town.  

In addition, Ole Miss presents live theater, concerts, museum exhibits and lectures for the public; the University library is also open to all residents.  Theatre Oxford, the local community theater group, presents plays each year, and the annual Double Decker Arts Festival showcases food, art and music.  For sports lovers, the University of Mississippi's football culture is nearly a religion.  And while we are mentioning religion, all denominations are represented here.

Health care should not be a worry if living in Oxford.  Baptist Memorial Hospital North Mississippi is a 205-bed facility that is a referral center and home to more than 70 doctors and surgeons.  It has a women's center, a cancer unit and a cardiac care center, as well as 24/7 emergency care.    Sta-Home is a home health care agency that provides skilled nursing, occupational therapy (such as help with bathing, grooming, etc.) and other services for seniors in their homes.  

The weather in Oxford is hot and humid in the summer (average summer highs are in the high 80s and low 90s) but pleasant in the winter (highs in the 70s and lows in the mid-30s).  For those from dry climates, however, these temperatures can still feel chilly!   The area does occasionally see snow and receives, on average, 55 inches of rain per year.  Oxford is not in "Tornado Alley" but can be visited by tornadoes in the spring and summer and can receive after-effects of hurricanes that hit the Gulf coast.

From the Civil War when much of the town Square was burned by a Union general to civil rights' unrest during the 1960s, Oxford has seen its share of upheaval and today is a conservative place that is becoming somewhat gentrified.  Still, much of its housing is affordable, and the southern charm is abundant.   It often seems as though the spirit of William Faulkner himself is here (his grave is located at St. Peter's Cemetery).   

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