City Profile

Fort Smith, Arkansas

USA · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Overall Score

Fort Smith is a historically rich city situated along the Arkansas River on the border with Oklahoma, serving as the commercial and cultural hub of the Western Arkansas River Valley. Founded as a military post in 1817, the city played a pivotal role in the westward expansion of the United States and retains a vibrant frontier heritage showcased at the Fort Smith National Historic Site. Today, it balances its storied past with a growing economic footprint, featuring a revitalized downtown, diverse neighborhoods, and a welcoming community atmosphere that attracts new residents seeking southern hospitality and affordable living.

About Arkansas

Arkansas, known as "The Natural State," offers diverse geography from the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains to the Mississippi River Delta, fostering a relaxed, nature-oriented lifestyle. The economy, historically rooted in agriculture with rice and poultry as leading products, has diversified to include significant contributions from manufacturing (food products, chemicals, wood and paper products, aerospace parts) and a growing service sector, largely influenced by Walmart's presence. Living in Arkansas is generally affordable, with a cost of living consistently below the national average, particularly for housing. The state experiences a humid subtropical climate with mild winters and hot, humid summers, and while property taxes are low, sales taxes can be high.

90,517

Population

$50K

Avg Salary

Cost Index

61.9

Quality Score

How this 62/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them

Component	Readings used	Points	Weight	Contributes
Safety	Safety score: 62 / 100	62.0	30%	18.6
Affordability	Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 82.0	66.3	25%	16.6
Economy & jobs	Median household income: $54,816 Income needed to live here: $42,000 Unemployment rate: 4.1%	68.4	20%	13.7
Growth	Population growth rate: 0.44% Job growth rate: 1.5%	43.0	15%	6.5
Business climate assessment	Business climate assessment: 66 / 100	66.0	10%	6.6
Overall score				61.9

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Gemini (ungrounded) (q=55, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 11 October 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

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Performance

Quality Scores

Business

Livability

Affordability

Growth

Expenses

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Fort Smith is notably lower than the national average, making it an attractive destination for budget-conscious families, retirees, and young professionals. Housing costs, grocery prices, and utility expenses all trend well below standard U.S. benchmarks, allowing residents to experience greater purchasing power on modest incomes. This high level of economic accessibility is a primary driver for newcomers looking to escape high-cost coastal and metropolitan regions without sacrificing quality of life.

Average Rent

$945/mo

Groceries

$380/mo

Transport

$110/mo

Utilities

$170/mo

Healthcare

$220/mo

Gym membership (monthly)

$40.00

Cinema ticket

$11.00

Restaurant meal (mid-range)

$18.00

Monthly groceries

$360.00

Doctor visit (without insurance)

$130.00

Income

Salary Insights

Fort Smith features a resilient and diverse economy deeply rooted in manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and food processing. Major regional employers include manufacturing leaders, large health systems like Mercy and Baptist Health, and transportation giants like ArcBest, providing a steady stream of career opportunities across various skill levels. While traditional blue-collar industries anchor the local job market, emerging sectors in technology integration and advanced manufacturing continue to expand the region's professional landscape.

The average salary in Fort Smith is $50,400 per year. You would need approximately $42,000 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Retail Trade +1.00% Manufacturing +1.10% Educational Services +1.30% Healthcare and Social Assistance +2.20% Transportation and Warehousing +1.60%

Weather

Climate

🌡️

63°F

Avg Temp

☀️

89°F

Summer High

❄️

33°F

Winter Low

🌧️

49.10"

Annual Rain

💧

65.00%

Humidity

🌤️

266

Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Getting around Fort Smith relies primarily on personal vehicles, as the city is structured around a comprehensive grid of highways and major thoroughfares that keep traffic congestion low. While public transit options are limited, average commute times are short, allowing residents to navigate across town quickly. The area also features developing pedestrian and cycling paths, particularly in newer developments like Chaffee Crossing.

17 min

Avg Commute

30.00/10

Transit Score

35.00/10

Walkability

High

Car Dependency

At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages

Median home values and rental rates are significantly lower than the national average per recent Census and Zillow data.

Robust regional healthcare infrastructure featuring major medical centers like Mercy and Baptist Health.

Short average commute times that minimize daily travel stress compared to larger metropolitan areas.

Abundant outdoor recreational opportunities nearby, including the Ozark National Forest and scenic mountain biking trails.

A revitalized historic downtown area offering local dining, arts, and community events.

Drawbacks

Poverty rates and median household incomes lag behind national benchmarks according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

Public transportation infrastructure is limited, making car ownership essential for daily commuting and errands.

Summer temperatures can be consistently high and humid, requiring heavy reliance on air conditioning.

Job growth in certain traditional sectors has experienced fluctuations over recent cycles.

Walkability scores are generally low outside of specific downtown or planned mixed-use pockets.

Head to Head

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Community Q&A

Questions about Fort Smith

What people ask about living in and moving to Fort Smith, Arkansas.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Urblytica benchmarks its Cost of Living Index against a United States national average baseline of 100. A score of 115 means a city is approximately 15% more expensive than the national average, while a score of 85 indicates it is 15% more affordable. This composite calculation is weighted across six primary expenditure categories: housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods.

Urblytica aggregates housing data from multiple authoritative sources, including Multiple Listing Service (MLS) feeds, municipal property tax registries, the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), and verified historical deed transactions. This multi-tier aggregation ensures precision in tracking median home values and rental rates.

A municipality must meet minimum data-density thresholds—including consistent reporting population samples from the U.S. Census and active residential or commercial real estate transaction feeds—to ensure statistical significance before a complete scoring profile is published.

When primary agencies (such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics or U.S. Census Bureau) issue historical data revisions or benchmark corrections, Urblytica's data pipeline automatically re-indexes affected historical archives to maintain longitudinal trend accuracy.

U.S. affordability calculations incorporate federal income tax brackets, state-specific income tax rates, and local municipal tax variations to evaluate the true net tax drag on median household earnings across different states and cities.

Local county and municipal property tax millage rates are factored directly into the housing component of the cost-of-living index to reflect recurring annual tax burdens for homeowners.

The platform aggregates state sales taxes alongside county and city surtaxes to measure consumer basket purchasing power parity accurately across different retail jurisdictions.

Utility calculations apply regional seasonal consumption weightings, incorporating high summer air conditioning loads in southern states and heavy winter heating demands in northern states.

The index tracks average out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, routine outpatient visit costs, and regional health insurance premium benchmarks published by federal health agencies.

Educational metrics aggregate state standardized testing benchmarks, student-to-teacher ratios, high school graduation rates, and per-pupil expenditure data published by state departments of education.

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