Residential comparison · 13 facts
Fayetteville, AR vs Fort Smith, AR
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Fayetteville needs about $78,000 in Fort Smith to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Fort Smith, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $92,000 in Fayetteville.
A few differences
- Fayetteville is lower on property tax rate (0.6% vs 0.62%).
- Fort Smith is lower on sales tax (9.45% vs 9.75%).
- Fayetteville is higher on median household income ($60,000 vs $54,816).
Fayetteville vs Fort Smith · facet by facet
| Facet | Fayetteville, AR | Fort Smith, AR |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $350,000 | $178,100 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,350/mo | $898/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.6% | 0.62% |
| State & local income tax | 4.01% | 4.01% |
| Sales tax | 9.75% | 9.45% |
| Cost of living index | 91 | 76 |
| Groceries index | 95 | 95 |
| Utilities | $145/mo | $155/mo |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $54,816 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Crime index | 42/100 | 68/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 217 days | 217 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Fayetteville, AR · Fort Smith, AR
Questions & answers
- Is Fayetteville cheaper than Fort Smith?
- Fort Smith has the lower day-to-day cost index (76 vs 91 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Fort Smith equals $85,000 in Fayetteville?
- A household earning $85,000 in Fayetteville needs about $78,000 in Fort Smith to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Fort Smith lifestyle costs about $92,000 in Fayetteville.