Population 91,855 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Fort Smith
Household size in Fort Smith
| Period | Fort Smith | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.49 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.48 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Fort Smith run small, averaging 2.48 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The picture is much the same across Arkansas. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northeast.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Fort Smith
| Period | Fort Smith | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.1 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.3 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.0 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.3 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Fort Smith is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 38.0, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 36.7, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the east.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Fort Smith
| Period | Fort Smith | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Fort Smith than nationally: 14.1%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Fort Smith
Renters in Fort Smith
| Period | Fort Smith | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.1% | 32.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 44.8% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 48.1% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 45.2% | 33.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Fort Smith than nationally: 45.2% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. About half of owners (50.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the south. The renter share is up 2.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Fort Smith
| Period | Fort Smith | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 13.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 14.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 13.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Fort Smith as nationally: 10.2%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in Arkansas as a whole (13.1%). Vacancy has edged down 0.5 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Fort Smith
| Period | Fort Smith | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1974 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Fort Smith was built around 1976, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Arkansas as a whole, where the median home dates to 1988. The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the north.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Fort Smith
| Period | Fort Smith | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $624 | $660 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $651 | $718 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $716 | $785 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $967 | $1,007 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$343 | +$346 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Fort Smith costs $967 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $343 a month since 2006–10, up 55%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.5% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the west.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Fort Smith
Bachelor's degrees in Fort Smith
| Period | Fort Smith | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.7% | 20.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.6% | 21.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.5% | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.1% | 26.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Fort Smith have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.1%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.4 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the north.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Fort Smith
| Period | Fort Smith | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.3% | 82.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.2% | 84.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.7% | 86.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.1% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +6.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Fort Smith never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 3.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Fort Smith has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Arkansas cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Fort Smith
| Period | Fort Smith | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Fort Smith: 6.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Fort Smith compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Smith | 2.48 | 38.0 | 14.1% | 45.2% | 10.2% | 1976 | $967 | 23.1% | 83.1% | 6.4% |
| Arkoma | 2.69 | 35.5 | 16.3% | 36.1% | 12.4% | 1972 | $747 | 12.2% | 85.0% | 7.0% |
| Barling | 2.06 | 38.6 | 11.2% | 34.4% | 12.2% | 1997 | $1,122 | 28.1% | 91.7% | 1.7% |
| Moffett | 3.12 | 58.3 | 9.8% | 34.1% | 29.4% | 1985 | $880 | 7.8% | 91.1% | 2.1% |
| Van Buren | 2.52 | 39.3 | 12.6% | 29.3% | 7.8% | 1988 | $861 | 20.2% | 87.2% | 4.6% |
| Dora | 2.87 | 34.7 | 13.6% | 20.9% | 10.0% | 1998 | $956 | 19.3% | 92.8% | 0.0% |
| Pocola | 2.44 | 41.0 | 11.0% | 29.4% | 11.6% | 1983 | $834 | 12.9% | 87.3% | 3.1% |
| Roland | 2.77 | 37.0 | 11.6% | 35.5% | 13.3% | 1987 | $871 | 12.1% | 86.4% | 3.3% |
| Bonanza | 2.62 | 51.5 | 3.0% | 8.5% | 5.3% | 1994 | $829 | 25.3% | 88.1% | 3.4% |
| Old Jenny Lind | 2.42 | 43.4 | 8.9% | 12.1% | 8.8% | 1985 | $810 | 26.8% | 91.7% | 0.4% |
| Central City | 2.54 | 43.9 | 6.0% | 22.6% | 7.8% | 1992 | $780 | 18.7% | 93.2% | 2.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sumter, SC · Tampa, FL · Suffolk, VA · Syracuse, NY · Tacoma, WA · Surprise, AZ · Sunrise, FL · Sugar Land, TX · Schaumburg, IL · Scottsdale, AZ
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Fort Smith. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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