Should I Move To
Fort Smith, Arkansas is home to about 89,315 people. On cost of living, it lands in the very affordable band — 24% below the national average. The median renter pays around $798 a month against a typical household income of $50,799. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 42 out of 100 (grade D), putting it at #754 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Fort Smith's composite cost-of-living index lands at 76 (100 = US average), which puts it in the very affordable band. At $798/mo against $50,799 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 19% of income on housing — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Median home value sits around $155,600.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is four-season — summer averages around 92°F, winter averages around 30°F. Precipitation totals about 41 inches a year. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go. Crime runs notably high by national standards. As always, neighborhood-level data tells a more nuanced story than the citywide figure. AQI runs about 42 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Fort Smith doesn't obviously fit families. The profile-weighted score is 44/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (100/100); the soft spot is safety (6/100).
Fort Smith doesn't obviously fit retirees. The profile-weighted score is 49/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (100/100); the soft spot is safety (6/100).
Fort Smith reads as a moderate fit for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 58/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is affordability (100/100); the soft spot is safety (6/100).
Fort Smith doesn't obviously fit young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 38/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is affordability (100/100); the soft spot is safety (6/100).
Our overall score for Fort Smith is 42/100 — a D, sitting at #754 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Fort Smith sits at 76 — very affordable, 24% below the national average. Median renter pays around $798 a month.
Fort Smith runs four-season on the weather. Summer's near 92°F, winter's near 30°F; 41 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 13/100. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go.
Roughly 89,315 people live here, with 25% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 36.
Drop Fort Smith into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Fort Smith with other Arkansas cities scored on UrbRank.
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