Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Oxford. Oxford Commercial Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Oxford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Oxford beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 560 in 1880, 722 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1980 and 2 maps from 1891 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Oxford, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Oxford.
The typical Oxford home is worth about $373,000, up 1.9% in a year, 58% above the Iowa typical home. 77% of Oxford households own their home, above both Iowa’s towns (70%) and U.S. towns (73%).
| Oxford | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 77% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,068 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Clear Creek Amana Community School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear Creek Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 278 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Most working residents leave Oxford for work: only 0% work in town. 3.3% of Oxford residents live below the poverty line, where Iowa’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The average trip to work in Oxford is 25 minutes.
| Oxford | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $83,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 70% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Oxford has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 12° and about 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
16% of adults get no exercise outside work in Oxford. Only 6 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Oxford. 22% of adults binge drink in Oxford.
| Oxford | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 26% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Oxford | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.1% | 12% |
| Fewer adults who get no exercise | 16.3% | 24.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Creekside Park | — | 13 |
| 2. Lions Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Oxford. Close and well known come first.
13 mi Stadium & arenaKinnick Stadium
23 mi MuseumHerbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
13 mi Stadium & arenaCarver–Hawkeye Arena
23 mi National Historic SiteHerbert Hoover National Historic Site107K visitors a year
18 mi MuseumNational Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
14 mi MuseumUniversity of Iowa Stanley Museum of ArtKinnick Stadium: Count_de_Des_Moines (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum: Shadow2700, Public domain · Carver–Hawkeye Arena: Asolsma1988, CC0 · Herbert Hoover National Historic Site: Billwhittaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library: ArtisticAbode, CC BY-SA 3.0 · University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Oxford
About 1 of every 100 Oxford residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Oxford’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Oxford.
City in Iowa, United States
Oxford is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 722 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Oxford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
3 notable people were born here, including Kevin Kinney and Clara Stover.
