Alabama · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Oxford, AL

Prices around Oxford, AL run 14.1% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $74,268 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $962 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $38,480 a year.

Oxford, AL at a glance

Median household income

$74,268$6,189 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$962HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)85.9-14.1% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity16.4¢per kWh · EIA Residential AL
Population22,063Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Oxford, AL?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$962Monthly market rent
Share of gross income15.5%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$38,480To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,857At 30% of $74,268
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Oxford, AL? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Anniston-Oxford, AL MSA, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Oxford, AL, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$753$9,036$30,12012.2%
1-Bedroom Apartment$757$9,084$30,28012.2%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$962$11,544$38,48015.5%
3-Bedroom Home$1,300$15,600$52,00021%
4-Bedroom Home$1,361$16,332$54,44022%

Rent in Oxford, AL, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Oxford, AL

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $74,268 a year ($6,189 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$3,095/moRent ($962 2-BR), utilities (~$148/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,857/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$1,238/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $74,268 leaves after Alabama taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Alabama tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$74,268
$25,000$150,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$74,268
Net 78%
Fed 10%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$57,980After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,832Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,230Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate21.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$7,509 / yr
Alabama state income tax$3,098 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$5,682 / yr

Living in Oxford, AL: common questions

What is the median household income in Oxford, AL?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Oxford, AL is $74,268 per year (approximately $6,189 per month).

What is the average rent in Oxford, AL?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $753 for a studio, $757 for one bedroom, $962 for two, $1,300 for three and $1,361 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Oxford, AL expensive to live in?

Prices there run 14.1% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 85.9, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Oxford, AL?

To keep a $962 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $38,480 a year, or $3,207 a month. That is 52% of what the typical household in Oxford, AL earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Oxford, AL?

On the local median income of $74,268 ($6,189 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $3,095 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,857 for everything else and $1,238 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $962 takes 31% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Oxford, AL?

Homes in Alabama paid 16.4¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $148. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.