Oxford is a college town with residents from all over the world
Oxford is an area of history and education. The Methodist Episcopal Church established the town in 1837. In 1972, Oxford was designated a shrine to the United Methodist Church, the first community in the country to receive such a title. It’s also the home of Oxford College, a division of Emory University. Surrounding the small town are more rural areas, and it shares a lot of culture with nearby Covington. “There are a lot of historic homes in Oxford,” says LeAnne Long, the broker/owner of Re/Max Around Atlanta East and the District 5 Commissioner of Newton County. “But it’s mostly the college that is the draw. Because of that, you see a lot of students and residents from other parts of the world.”
American and Italian eateries, plus the public Oxford Dining Hall
Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q is a regional chain with classic American flavors. Another regional chain, Amici, focuses on pizza, sandwiches and locally brewed beer. The Oxford Dining Hall is open to the public and features vegetables and herbs grown by students. “It’s the best-kept secret in town,” Long says. “They always have three or four buffets open, and it’s all farm-to-table. It’s the coolest place to go eat.” Other restaurants are in neighboring Covington, like Mystic Grill, a Southern eatery inspired by the hit TV show “The Vampire Diaries,” which was filmed in the city.
Oxford has a Publix, and Covington has retail stores like Walmart and Bealls. Western residents can alternatively head to Conyers, where there is a T.J. Maxx and a Target among other stores.
Georgia International Horse Park and other green spaces draw a crowd
Asbury Street Park has picnic areas, walking and jogging trails, and a playground. Anglers travel to Red’s Lake to catch carp and catfish. City Pond Park hosts baseball and softball games and tennis and pickleball matches. The nearby Georgia International Horse Park holds sporting and equestrian competitions and features a public, Olympic-style mountain biking course. It also contains Cherokee Run Golf Club, with public tee times and a course co-designed by golf great Arnold Palmer. Allen Memorial United Methodist Church’s building has stood since 1910. The city’s “Old Church,” built in 1841, is now a historical site for events.
Ranch-style and luxury homes sit along grid-like streets
Oxford properties vary in style and are spread throughout the region, extending north past the Ashley Grove community. Traditional ranch-style homes often run from $200,000 to $400,000, while New Traditional houses commonly sell between $250,000 and $580,000. Luxury homes can range from $660,000 to $1.2 million. The city center’s streets are mostly grid-like, with Emory Street being its main thoroughfare. Its residential asphalt streets can be narrow and lack sidewalks, though the Oxford College campus is walkable. Tall trees surround the homes in town, and their yards usually feature bushes and smaller trees. A mix of dense woods and open farmland lines the roads outside the city center.
Oxford College and a school choice scholarship program
Oxford College houses more than 1,000 first- and second-year students from Emory University and teaches a liberal arts curriculum. Younger students are served by Newton County Schools. They can attend Flint Hill Elementary School, which has a C Niche grade. Cousins Middle School also receives a C. Newton High School offers work-based learning opportunities and dual enrollment classes for college credit. It earns a C-plus score. The Georgia Promise Scholarship, introduced in 2025, offers eligible families up to $6,500 to put toward private school tuition or other educational expenses. The region's Providence Classical Christian School receives an A-minus Niche grade.
A weekly farmers markets and an annual Fourth of July celebration
The Oxford Farmers Market is held each Thursday afternoon on the city green along Emory Street, with special seasonal markets on select Saturdays. The market also holds First Thursday Food Trucks once per month. The city throws an annual Fourth of July parade and celebration with vendors and live music. Long says the event draws visitors from across the county.
Access to State Route 81 and Interstate 20 with a chance of flooding
Georgia State Route 81, locally called Emory Street, cuts through the center of town, crossing over Interstate 20 to the south. Covington sits across I-20. Downtown Atlanta is just over 35 miles away, and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is close to a 40-mile drive. A railroad runs near the area’s southwestern border, through the Almon community and into Covington. Flash flooding and tornadoes can impact the community, Long says, but not any more or less than other parts of Georgia.
