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 | Fort Smith | Lawrence | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $798/mo | $1,038/mo | 23.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $155,600 | $247,300 | 37.1% lower in A |
| Median household income | $50,799 | $59,834 | 15.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.7 | 96.3 | 2.4% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 94.8 | 91.7 | 3.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 96.9 | 3.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 99.1 | 4.4% lower 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 Fort Smith, you'd need $130,081 in Lawrence to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fort Smith, AR is about 23.1% cheaper overall than Lawrence, KS, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Fort Smith than in Lawrence. If you earn $80,000 in Fort Smith, you'd need about $104,065 in Lawrence to keep the same standard of living.