Oxford, Mississippi Short-Term Rental Market
Oxford STRs averaged $339/night at 32.2% occupancy in April 2026 across roughly 2,015 active listings.
Quick Answer: Oxford, Mississippi is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 32%. average monthly revenue is $3,212. average daily rate is $339. the top operator is Velvet Ditch Villas with 137 listings. market score is 83/100 (grade B).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Oxford, Mississippi is a mid-size short-term rental market shaped almost entirely by Ole Miss football and university-driven events. As of April 2026, the market shows 2,015 active listings, with entire-place units accounting for 1,946 of them. The average daily rate stands at $339, and overall occupancy sits at 32.2%, reflecting the highly seasonal nature of demand that spikes sharply around SEC game weekends. RevPAR comes in at $109 for April.
The bedroom distribution skews toward larger properties: 3-bedroom listings lead with 853 units, followed by 2-bedroom (577), 4-bedroom (297), 1-bedroom (218), and 5-bedroom-plus (70). This composition reflects the group-travel pattern tied to football weekends, where full-home bookings for groups of 4 to 12 guests are the norm. Airbnb-exclusive listings number 846, VRBO-exclusive 237, and 933 properties list on both platforms.
Year-over-year, occupancy ticked up 1.1% and ADR improved 5.3%, though revenue fell 10.3% compared to the prior April, a shift that reflects the timing of game weekends relative to the prior year rather than a structural decline. The market’s total score of 82.5 out of 100, with an investability subscore of 88.3, signals strong underlying demand fundamentals even within a low-base-occupancy seasonal structure.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29% | $285 | $2,363 |
| Feb | 41% | $239 | $2,035 |
| Mar | 43% | $254 | $2,480 |
| Apr | 39% | $316 | $2,800 |
| May | 25% | $352 | $2,396 |
| Jun | 35% | $233 | $2,385 |
| Jul | 37% | $224 | $2,355 |
| Aug | 49% | $286 | $3,198 |
| Sep | 38% | $439 | $3,620 |
| Oct | 30% | $454 | $3,425 |
| Nov | 27% | $465 | $3,427 |
| Dec | 19% | $361 | $3,190 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Oxford
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Velvet Ditch Villas | 137 | 2,859 | ★ 4.94 |
| 2 | Apex Oxford | 91 | 430 | ★ 4.91 |
| 3 | Oxford Vacation Rentals | 48 | 397 | ★ 4.98 |
| 4 | Evolve | 35 | 444 | ★ 4.74 |
| 5 | Mistr Property Management | 3 | 87 | ★ 4.99 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Oxford?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 218 |
| 2 bed | 577 |
| 3 bed | 853 |
| 4 bed | 297 |
| 5 bed | 70 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $338 |
| Luxury | $850 |
| Professionally Managed | $345 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,600 |
| Entire Place | $3,195 |
| House | $3,701 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 42% |
| vrbo | 11.8% |
| both | 46.3% |
Investment Analysis
Oxford’s STR investment case rests on event-driven yield concentration rather than steady nightly income. The average listing earned $3,212 in April 2026, and annualizing the April figure yields roughly $38,500 per year, though actual annual performance varies significantly based on Ole Miss scheduling. Against a typical home value of $414,121, the gross yield implied by April-annualized revenue is approximately 9.3%, well above the national STR average.
Luxury-tier properties command an ADR of $850, versus $339 for the all-listings average and $345 for professionally managed listings. The professionally managed tier ($345 ADR) performs nearly at the all-market average, suggesting that professional management does not yet command a material rate premium in Oxford. House-type listings average $3,701 per month versus $2,600 for apartments and $3,196 for entire-place units broadly.
The housing market shows a sale-to-list ratio of 0.901, meaning properties are selling at a modest discount to asking price, with inventory at 452 active listings and a median of 25 days to pending. Buyers with a 2026 entry point may find Oxford more negotiable than peak 2022-2023 conditions. The revenue growth score of 99.97 out of 100 signals that Oxford’s ADR and revenue trajectory has been among the strongest nationally over the trailing data window.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Oxford bookings in April 2026 averaged a lead time of 59.7 days, meaning guests typically book about two months in advance. For game weekends, experienced hosts report lead times of 90 to 180 days, so the overall market average is pulled down by last-minute fill on non-event nights.
The average length of stay is 3.3 nights, consistent with a weekend-trip pattern tied to football and festival events. This creates a high-turnover operational model with short gaps between bookings during peak periods. Hosts should plan for cleaning and maintenance cycles of under 24 hours during game-weekend clusters.
For pricing strategy, the 60-day average lead time suggests that dynamic pricing tools should be set to release holds and adjust rates approximately 8 to 10 weeks out. Minimum stay requirements of 2 to 3 nights during event weekends are standard practice in this market and help maintain revenue per stay while reducing cleaning frequency.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Oxford adopted its short-term rental ordinance in March 2023 following concerns about unlicensed operators in residential zones. STRs are permitted citywide but with zone-specific restrictions. In residential districts, no STR may be located within 1,500 linear feet of another permitted STR, which effectively limits density in neighborhoods.
Operators must obtain a City of Oxford short-term rental permit for each property through the Planning Department. The permit costs $150 per year and must be approved by city council. Permits expire December 31 annually and require renewal. A city business license is also required. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, meaning investors can permit non-owner-occupied properties.
Occupancy is capped by available on-site parking: one parking space is required per two adults, and only driveway or on-property parking counts. Required safety items include smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and $1 million in liability and personal injury insurance.
Oxford collects an 8% local lodging tax. As of January 15, 2026, Mississippi SB2805 requires platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo to collect and remit both state sales tax and local hotel/motel tax on the total booking amount, relieving hosts of direct remittance when the platform is registered. Enforcement severity is rated moderate. Non-compliance fines range from approximately $100 to $500 per violation.
Market Comparison
Oxford’s 32.2% April occupancy sits below the national STR median of approximately 55%, which accurately reflects its event-dependent demand pattern rather than weakness. Most college-town markets with fewer than 30,000 residents post similar base occupancy. The ADR of $339 is above the US median of roughly $220, driven by premium game-weekend pricing that lifts the monthly average even in shoulder periods.
Among the top operators, Velvet Ditch Villas leads with 137 listings and 2,859 reviews at an average rating of 4.94, representing roughly 6.8% of the market. Apex Oxford holds 91 listings (4.5% share) with a 4.91 rating, and Oxford Vacation Rentals manages 48 listings (2.4% share) with the highest average rating among the top three at 4.98. Evolve, a national platform, holds 35 listings at a 4.74 rating.
Collectively, the top four operators manage about 311 listings, or roughly 15% of the market, indicating that the Oxford STR market remains predominantly owner-operated. The market score of 82.5 and investability score of 88.3 place Oxford in the top tier for college-town STR investment nationally, particularly given the revenue growth score of 99.97.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oxford, Mississippi
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