City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Bloomington | Fort Smith | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $959/mo | $798/mo | 20.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $190,700 | $155,600 | 22.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $73,119 | $50,799 | 43.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 96.3 | 98.7 | 2.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 91.7 | 94.8 | 3.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 96.9 | 100.5 | 3.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.1 | 94.8 | 4.5% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bloomington, you'd need $83,208 in Fort Smith to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fort Smith, AR is about 16.8% cheaper overall than Bloomington, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 17% lower in Fort Smith than in Bloomington. If you earn $80,000 in Bloomington, you'd need about $66,566 in Fort Smith to keep the same standard of living.