Best Life Index › States › Arkansas › Cities › Fort Smith

Arkansas city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Fort Smith?

What it costs to live in Fort Smith, and how it compares with other Arkansas cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

44

16th best value in Arkansas

How much you get for what you pay, versus other Arkansas cities.

Overall livability

44

16th overall in Arkansas

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Fort Smith is home to about 89,116 people. A typical home runs $137,800 and a household earns around $48,000, a price-to-income ratio of 2.9. Among Arkansas's largest cities, it ranks 16th for value and 16th overall.

Fort Smith at a glance

Median home price

$137,800

13th in AR of 28

Median rent

$740/mo

Median household income

$48,000

Home price to income

2.9x

Unemployment

5.8%

18th in AR of 28

School rating

3/10

16th in AR of 28

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in AR of 28

Walk score

9/100

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‹ See all top Arkansas cities ranked  ยท  Arkansas state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within Arkansas only. Updated 2026.