Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Oxford grades B− overall, ranked 208th of 282 in Massachusetts, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, its schools rank behind 80% of the state's. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $104K. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $432K for a typical one and 4.5 times the Worcester metro’s $96K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 5 places on the National Register. Only 11 of Massachusetts’ 325 towns score lower on the outdoors. Oxford’s trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 1.8 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Its National Register listings include Clara Barton Homestead and Huguenot Fort.
Where Oxford beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,000 in 1790, 13,347 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1720 and 8 maps from 1889 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Oxford is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Oxford. Close and well known come first.
Big draw6 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
34 mi LakeWalden Pond
36 mi National Historic SiteSpringfield Armory National Historic Site14K visitors a year
27 mi LakeQuabbin Reservoir
10 mi Stadium & arenaDCU CenterLake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Springfield Armory National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Quabbin Reservoir: engineerchange, CC BY 2.0 · DCU Center: Terageorge, CC BY-SA 3.0
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.
Oxford trades workers with Worcester and other neighbors, is safe by national standards but not by Massachusetts’s and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Massachusetts.
Each of its 6 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C−, Auburn highest at B.
Its public schools are run by the Oxford school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Oxford High, with 453 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 385 | C |
| Oxford HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 453 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
At $1,177 a month, Oxford’s median rent is below the Massachusetts town median ($1,683 a month) and near the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The typical Oxford home is worth about $432,000, up 2.5% in a year, 34% below the Massachusetts typical home. 83% of households own their home in Oxford.
| Oxford | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,177 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 83% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 71% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Oxford.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
30 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. Among 283 Massachusetts towns, just 7 have a lower share of conserved land than Oxford. The biggest park or preserve is Merrill Pond Wildlife Management Area, at 327 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Merrill Pond Wildlife Management Area | 0.2 mi | 327 |
| 2. Kulisa Conservation Restriction | — | 24 |
| 3. Greenbiar Recreation Area | — | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Oxford has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Oxford is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 13.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 54% of Massachusetts’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 13 reported in 2025, 1 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 82% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar. Against the 8,002 U.S. towns with household incomes like Oxford’s, it is less healthy than 57%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Oxford beats the Massachusetts average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 27% of Oxford adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Oxford | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 28% | 35% |
| What stands out | Oxford | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 73.1% | 69.8% |
| More adults with obesity | 33.2% | 27.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Oxford has about as many jobs (6,084) as working residents, but only 633 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 4,399 in 2013 to 6,084.
Most working residents leave Oxford for work: only 9% work in town. Jobs based in Oxford grew to 6,084 in 2023, 1,685 more than in 2013. Oxford’s average trip to work is 28 minutes.
| Oxford | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $104,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 16% | 18% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
9 within 15 miles of the center of Oxford
About 7 of every 100 Oxford residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Massachusetts.
5 places in Oxford on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Oxford.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Oxford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,347 as of the 2020 United States census. The town contains the census-designated place of the same name. It was the birthplace of Clara Barton, the first president and founder of the American Red Cross.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Oxford.
All 6 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its B−; Millbury (B−) is closest.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Oxford grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #208 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades B for health, B+ for safety and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
12 notable people were born here, including Clara Barton and Richard Olney.
