What it's like to live in Fort Smith
Fort Smith is a smaller city in Arkansas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Fort Smith deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, hospital ratings below the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Below-average hospital ratings
- High poverty rate
- Hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Fort Smith compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Fort Smith
Based on Fort Smith's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,768
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $35,360 a year
- 40% of Fort Smith renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$35,620
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $17,810
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 37% below US
$884/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $884 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $178,100. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $178,100 · 40% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 141% above US
793 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 3379/100k · Fort Smith Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 35% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.8 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 32°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
3 hospitals
There are 3 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 2.5 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 34% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
29 public schools inside the boundary
There are 29 public schools inside the boundary and 9 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Smith National Historic Site (4 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Fort Smith's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($884/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Fort Smith
All Arkansas guides →Moving to Fayetteville →
51 mi away · pop. 99,319
Rent $1,065/mo · Income $62,695
Compare with Fort Smith →Moving to Siloam Springs →
58 mi away · pop. 18,699
Rent $1,003/mo · Income $72,065
Compare with Fort Smith →Not sure Fort Smith is the one?
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