Oxford has been named one of the fastest-growing college towns in America, according to a new study.
New BrokeScholar data shows that Oxford – which is home to the main campus of Ole Miss and a satellite campus of Northwest Mississippi Community College – has grown in population by 102 percent between 2000 and 2023.
Oxford is now home to 27,531 residents in comparison to 13,637 in 2000. The study predicts the current number will jump to 34,094 by 2030, which would be a 24 percent increase over the next six years.
The only college town to top Oxford was Bozeman, Mont. The population of Bozeman, home of Montana State University, has grown by nearly 30,000 since 2000 and is expected to grow another 14,000 by 2030.
Rounding out the top five were Cedar City, Utah, San Marcos, Texas, and Auburn, Ala. College towns in the South dominated the study with eight of the top 10 in either Mississippi, Texas, North Carolina, Alabama, or Arkansas.
Starkville, home of Mississippi State University’s main campus, landed at No. 85, with a 13 percent increase in population between 2000 and 2023. Hattiesburg came in at No. 116 with a three percent increase in that same time span. The Hub City boasts the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University’s main campuses and a satellite campus of Pearl River Community College.
The full study can be read here.
