Fort Smith, AR — City Profile & Demographics 2026

Population 89,496 · Arkansas · Updated May 2026

Population

89,496

Median Income

$52,692

Home Price

$195,664

Unemployment

6.7%

Poverty Rate

18.3%

Bachelor's+

25.3%

Full Demographics — Fort Smith, AR

27 metrics across 8 categories, compared to US national averages.

Demographics

Metric	Fort Smith, AR	US Average
Population	89,496	—
Pop. Density / sq mi	N/A	—
Median Age	36.6	38.9
Foreign Born	11.7%	13.8%
White	61.2%	61.6%
Black	7.7%	12.4%
Asian	5.7%	6.0%
Hispanic	20.0%	18.7%
Spanish at Home	N/A	13.2%

Economy

Metric	Fort Smith, AR	US Average
Median HH Income	$52,692	$74,580
Per Capita Income	$33,991	$40,480
Per Capita Personal Income (MSA)BEA MSA-level	$53,714	$64,500
Unemployment Rate	6.7%	3.8%
Poverty Rate	18.3%	11.5%
Bachelor's Degree+	25.3%	35.8%

Housing

Source: Zillow ZHVI, Census ACS

Metric	Fort Smith, AR	US Average	vs US
Median Home Value	$195,664	$410,000
Homeownership Rate	53.0%	65.4%

Safety

Metric	Fort Smith, AR	US Average	vs US
Violent Crime / 100KFBI CDE (state-level est.)	660	380
Property Crime / 100KFBI CDE (state-level est.)	2507	1950

Health

Metric	Fort Smith, AR	US Average
Obesity RateCDC PLACES	37.0%	33.0%
Diabetes RateCDC PLACES	13.8%	11.6%
Poor Mental HealthCDC PLACES — 14+ days/month	19.7%	14.0%
No Health InsuranceCDC PLACES	15.3%	9.6%
Binge DrinkingCDC PLACES	13.5%	15.5%
Current SmokersCDC PLACES	17.2%	12.5%

Climate

Metric	Fort Smith, AR	US Average	vs US
Avg Annual TempNOAA 1991–2020 normal	61.7°F	54.5°F
Annual PrecipitationNOAA 1991–2020 normal	45.5 in	30.2 in

Air Quality

Metric	Fort Smith, AR	US Average	vs US
PM2.5 Annual AvgEPA AQS (state-level est.)	9.5 µg/m³	8.5 µg/m³
Good Air DaysAQI ≤ 50	55.0%	70.0%

Commute

Metric	Fort Smith, AR	US Average	vs US
Mean Commute TimeCensus ACS	18.7 min	27.0 min

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About Fort Smith, AR

Fort Smith is a city in Arkansas, United States. With a population of 89,496, it is one of the notable cities in the region. Compared to the US average, Fort Smith shows stronger commute time (19 min average commute vs 27 min average commute US avg). However, the city has a higher educational attainment at 25.3% bachelor's degree, compared to the US average of 35.8% bachelor's degree. Data sourced from US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Survey (2023), CDC PLACES, FBI CDE, NOAA, and EPA.

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