Oxford, Mississippi, is No. 8 in the newly released 2020 economic strength rankings of micropolitan areas in the United States, according to Policom Corporation. Oxford moved up to No. 8 from No. 9 -- out of 542 similar communities -- since last year's ranking.
A micropolitan area is defined by Policom as an urban area with a population of at least 10,000 people but less than 50,000 people.
Oxford is the highest-ranked micropolitan in the South. The next highest-ranking Southern city is Key West, Florida, which came in at No. 29, followed by Cookeville, Tennessee, at No. 32 and Tullahoma, Tennessee, at No. 37.
Oxford ranked No. 49 in 2018. To jump in rank from No. 49 to No. 9 in 2019 and then to No. 8 in 2020 shows a tremendous amount of growth in the local economy.
“Holding our ranking in the top 10 means we are doing something special in Oxford. We are taking care of business in a long-term, sustainable way,” said Jon Maynard, Oxford-Lafayette County Economic Development Foundation President and CEO.
The top 10 micropolitan areas in the United States are:
1. Bozeman, Montana
2. Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts
3. Heber, Utah
4. Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
5. Hood River, Oregon
6. Breckenridge, Colorado
7. Wooster, Ohio
8. Oxford, Mississippi
9. Astoria, Oregon
10. Kalispell, Montana
A link to the full Policom list can be found here.
