Baptist Memorial Hospital -North Mississippi is a 205-bed facility that is a referral center and home to more than 70 doctors and surgeons.  It has a women's center, a cancer unit, a cardiac care center, 24/7 emergency care, and it has the state's top-rated cardiac surgery and coronary interventional procedures program.  Its orthopedic and cardiac surgery services rank in the top 10% in the nation, and its cardiac surgery, treatment of stroke and gastrointestinal surgery rank tops in the state. 

Sta-Home is a home health care agency that provides skilled nursing, occupational therapy (such as help with bathing, grooming, etc.) and other services for seniors in their homes.  Azalea Gardens (662-234-9600) is an independent and assisted-living facility with cottages for sale and a monthly service fee.    Meals on Wheels is active as well.

Sports enthusiasts will revel in the University of Mississippi's football culture, which is nearly a religion.   The University's golf course, the Country Club of Oxford and several other courses each offer18 holes of golf.    Oxford Parks and Recreation Department's offerings are extensive and include parks, recreation centers and recreation areas.   Walkers will love the city's extensive system of paved paths.

For those who still yearn to learn, the University offers up to four credit hours of class work per semester at no cost to those 65 or better.   Ole Miss also sponsors the Division of Outreach and Continuing Education for non-traditional students and its Lifetime Learning Institute offers a variety of courses, workshops and special events specifically geared to those age 50+.

The Three Rivers Area Agency on Aging provides services to the mature population in Lafayette County.  The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is active in Oxford, as is Meals on Wheels.

All religious denominations are represented here, and the city has a crime rate that meets the national average.  Public transportation is provided by OUT (Oxford University Transit), but service is limited.   Oxford is a good walking city, and it is very bicycle friendly, but most retirees will probably need a car or a good friend with a car.

The weather is hot and humid in the summer (average summer highs are in the high 80s and low 90s) but pleasant in the winter (highs in the 70s and lows in the mid-30s).    The area does occasionally see snow and receives, on average, 55 inches of rain per year.  Oxford is not in "Tornado Alley" but can be visited by tornadoes in the spring and summer and can occasionally feel the after effects of hurricanes that hit the Gulf coast.

From the Civil War when much of the town Square was burned by a Union general to 1960s civil rights' unrest, Oxford has seen its share of upheaval and today is a conservative place that is becoming somewhat gentrified.    It is growing (nearly 35% since 2000), and the city is suffering somewhat from the effects of this (urban sprawl, traffic congestion, etc.).   Oxford also has a lot of students, and they tend to be everywhere.  Yet, Oxford city exudes southern charm and hospitality, and retirees here enjoy a high quality of life in a small, sophisticated, southern city.

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