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The latest economic strength rankings from POLICOM Corp. rank Oxford as number 9 out of 551 micropolitan statistical areas in economic strength across the United States.
This year’s rankings moved Oxford from 49th last year, making it among the top 10 micropolitan statistical areas. Oxford is the the highest ranked micropolitan area in the South. The next highest ranking Southern city is Sevierville, Tenn., which came in at No. 35.
POLICOM is an independent economics research firm.
Oxford’s other previous rankings by POLICOM have been numbers 36, 17 and 17 in 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. Jumping in rank from 49 to No. 9 can be attributed to the hard work and partnership between leaders at the city of Oxford, Lafayette County, and the Oxford-Lafayette County Economic Development Foundation.
The EDF is a public-private partnership that works to create opportunities for responsible economic investment, raising the per capita income for all citizens of Lafayette County. EDF has recently taken a fresh approach to economic development in the Oxford community, focusing on current trends in technology development companies and entrepreneurship.
EDF President and CEO Jon Maynard said of the ranking: “This is third-party recognition of the economic growth that is happening in Lafayette County. POLICOM uses a sophisticated process for determining economic strength. Their process is scientific evidence of the positive economic atmosphere that we have had in Oxford for a very long time.”
Oxford appears to be the definition of a prospering community, according to POLICOM. “If a community does nothing to influence its local economy, it will gradually be dragged down the stream toward economic despair,” POLICOM stated.
A Micropolitan area is defined by POLICOM as an urban area of at least 10,000 population but less than 50,000. It must be at least one county. The top ten micropolitan areas in the Unites States are:
Bozeman, Mont; Summit Park, Utah; Lewisburg, Pa.; Hood River, Ore.; Wooster, Ohio; Breckenridge Colo.; Edwards, Colo.; Eureka-Arcata-Fotuna, Calif., Oxford, and Ellensburg, Wash.
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