Oxford, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Oxford is a city in Calhoun
and Talladega
counties in the U.S. state
of Alabama
. The population was 14,592 at the 2000 census
. Oxford is one of two principal cities of and included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area
. 21,348 residents lived in the city according to the 2010 Census, an increase of 46.3% since the 2000 Census.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.3 square miles (47.4 km²), of which, 18.2 square miles (47.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.38%) is water.
Oxford lies among the foothills at the southern end of the Blue Ridge mountains. Nearby Mount Cheaha is Alabama's highest point and offers expansive views of the surrounding wilderness and the city below. Much of the city's southern border is shared with the Talladega National Forest
.
Major bodies of water include Oxford Lake, Lake Hillabee, Snows Creek and Choccolocco Creek, which bisects the city.
Oxford High School has an approximate enrollment of 1,002 students and is classified as a Class 6A school. While Oxford City Schools offers some additional educational opportunities, they are not among the top 20 high schools in Alabama.
The privately operated Trinity Christian Academy is located in Southwestern Oxford.
of 2000, there were 14,592 people, 5,734 households, and 4,231 families residing in the city. The population density
was 800.1 people per square mile (308.9/km²). There were 6,280 housing units at an average density of 340.5 per square mile (131.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.46% White
, 9.88% Black
or African American
, 0.38% Native American
, 0.62% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 0.78% from other races
, and 0.85% from two or more races. 1.93% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 5,734 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% are married couples
living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,397, and the median income for a family was $47,891. Males had a median income of $34,838 versus $21,897 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $28,923. About 6.8% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.
Calhoun County, Alabama
Calhoun County is a county in the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of John C. Calhoun, famous member of the United States Senate from South Carolina. As of 2010 the population was 118,572. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and Talladega
Talladega County, Alabama
Talladega County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Talladega is a Muscogee Native American word derived from TVLVTEKE, which means "border town." As of 2010, the population was 82,291...
counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. The population was 14,592 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. Oxford is one of two principal cities of and included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area
Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Area
The Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area is the most populated metropolitan area in Northeast Alabama next to Huntsville. At the 2000 census, it had a population of 112,249...
. 21,348 residents lived in the city according to the 2010 Census, an increase of 46.3% since the 2000 Census.
Geography
Oxford is located at 33°35′49.578"N 80°50′19.972"W (33.597105, -85.838881).According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.3 square miles (47.4 km²), of which, 18.2 square miles (47.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.38%) is water.
Oxford lies among the foothills at the southern end of the Blue Ridge mountains. Nearby Mount Cheaha is Alabama's highest point and offers expansive views of the surrounding wilderness and the city below. Much of the city's southern border is shared with the Talladega National Forest
Talladega National Forest
The Talladega National Forest is located in the U.S. state of Alabama and covers 392,567 acres at the southern edge of the Appalachian Mountains....
.
Major bodies of water include Oxford Lake, Lake Hillabee, Snows Creek and Choccolocco Creek, which bisects the city.
History
Founded in the early 1850s, Oxford was the first city in Calhoun County to be incorporated. When the town was formed, it was originally named Lick skillet. The name was later changed to "Oxford" due to the presence of a narrow crossing of the Chocolocco Creek that allowed farmers to ford cattle from one side of the creek to the other. Since 1970 Oxford has annexed large amounts of land to the south, including the communities of Coldwater and Bynum. In 1970 it was all in Calhoun County but today it includes areas in Talladega County.Government
Oxford features a Mayor-Council form of government, though the Mayor actually dictate the daily running of the city. Mayor Leon Smith is currently serving his seventh term, having been elected to the post in 1984. The five-member Council includes Phil Gardner (Place 1), June Land Reaves (Place 2), Mitch Key (Place 3), Chris Spurlin (Place 4), and Steven Waits (Place 5). Spurlin serves as the Council President. The mayor and city council members are elected to four-year terms (coinciding with presidential election years).Education
Oxford's public schools are administered by the Oxford City School System. Board members are appointed but lack a true representation of the city's student makeup. There are currently four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. A new Freshman Academy building, for the ninth grade of Oxford High School, opened in January 2009. A new Oxford High School building opened in August 2010. The official Board of Education website is Oxford City Schools.Oxford High School has an approximate enrollment of 1,002 students and is classified as a Class 6A school. While Oxford City Schools offers some additional educational opportunities, they are not among the top 20 high schools in Alabama.
The privately operated Trinity Christian Academy is located in Southwestern Oxford.
Economy
The city's growth in recent years can be attributed mainly to the presence of Interstate 20 and Oxford's central location between Atlanta and Birmingham. Home to the only fully enclosed shopping mall between Birmingham, AL and Douglasville, GA is the Quintard Mall. Several other shopping centers dot the landscape of Oxford with the most recent being the construction of the Oxford Exchange, which is just off exit 188 on Interstate 20.Transportation
Major highways passing through Oxford include:- Interstate 20Interstate 20Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95...
- US Highway 78
- US Highway 431
- State Route 21
- State Route 202
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 14,592 people, 5,734 households, and 4,231 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 800.1 people per square mile (308.9/km²). There were 6,280 housing units at an average density of 340.5 per square mile (131.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.46% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 9.88% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.38% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.62% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.78% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.85% from two or more races. 1.93% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 5,734 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% are married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,397, and the median income for a family was $47,891. Males had a median income of $34,838 versus $21,897 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $28,923. About 6.8% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.
Media
- Truth Radio WTBJ-FM 91.3 (Christian Radio)
- WVOK-FMWVOK-FMWVOK-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary music format. Licensed to Oxford, Alabama, it serves the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Area...
97.9 (Adult Contemporary) - WVOK-AM 1580 (Oldies)
- WTDR-FM 92.7 (Country)
- The Anniston StarThe Anniston StarThe Anniston Star is the daily newspaper serving Anniston, Alabama, and the surrounding six-county region. Average Sunday circulation in September 2004 was 26,747. The newspaper is locally-owned by Consolidated Publishing Company, which is controlled by the descendants of Col. Harry M. Ayers, one...
(25,000 circulation daily newspaper) - Oxford Independent (weekly newspaper)
- Insight (a bi-monthly entertainment and event paper serving Oxford and Calhoun county)