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 | Fargo | Fort Smith | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $900/mo | $798/mo | 12.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $254,900 | $155,600 | 63.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $64,432 | $50,799 | 26.8% 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 Fargo, you'd need $88,659 in Fort Smith to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fort Smith, AR is about 11.3% cheaper overall than Fargo, ND, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 11% lower in Fort Smith than in Fargo. If you earn $80,000 in Fargo, you'd need about $70,927 in Fort Smith to keep the same standard of living.