Sebastian County · Arkansas · South · 90k residents
Fort Smith, AR: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Fort Smith: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Arkansas median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,072/wk. Arkansas's corporate income tax rate is 4.3%. Commercial electricity averages 10.2¢/kWh.
Compare Fort Smith side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,072/wk
Corporate income tax
4.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher
23.9%
Commercial electricity
10.2¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Fort Smith's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
58/100
Steady
Ranks Fort Smith's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $178,100 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $135 |
| Property tax rate | 0.62% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $627/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $898/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.01% |
| Sales tax | 9.45% |
| Corporate income tax | 4.3% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,072/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.9% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.2¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 29.2/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $114,140 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $79,870 |
| Wage: General manager | $70,330 |
| Wage: Customer service | $37,500 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $32,050 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $47,580 |
| Wage: Electrician | $52,500 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $28,350 |
| Cost of living index | 76 |
| Groceries index | 95 |
| Utilities | $155/mo |
| Transit pass | $40/mo |
| Gas price | $2.90/gal |
| Healthcare index | 90 |
| Childcare (per child) | $750/mo |
| Median household income | $54,816 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% |
| Population | 90k |
| Crime index | 68/100 |
| School rating | 4.5/10 |
| Walkability | 34/100 |
| Disaster risk | 87/100 |
| Avg. commute | 22 min |
| Sunny days / year | 217 days |
| July high | 94°F |
| January low | 30°F |
| Annual snowfall | 3 in |
| Home price YoY | +3.5% |
| Home price MoM | -0.1% |
| Rent YoY | +5.4% |
| Rent MoM | +0.6% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | 0.0% |
| Building permits YoY | +51.8% |
| Ocean coast | 381 mi |
| Big lake | 67 mi |
| Mountains | 46 mi |
| Major airport | 63 mi |
| Ski resort | 301 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Van Buren, AR · 24k
- Fayetteville, AR · 99k
- Siloam Springs, AR · 19k
- Springdale, AR · 88k
- Rogers, AR · 73k
Similar size
- Jonesboro, AR · 80k
- Conway, AR · 68k
- North Little Rock, AR · 65k
- Bentonville, AR · 58k
- Pine Bluff, AR · 40k
Real listings in Fort Smith
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
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- Is Fort Smith a good place to run a business?
- Arkansas's corporate income tax rate is 4.3%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,072/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.2¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Fort Smith, AR?
- Fort Smith indexes at 76 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $898/mo and a acs median home value of $178,100.
- How much does a house cost in Fort Smith?
- The acs median home value in Fort Smith is $178,100 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Fort Smith?
- A two-bedroom in Fort Smith rents for about $898/mo.