United States › Arkansas › Fort Smith CITY · 2020 ACS
Fort Smith Arkansas · 89,142 residents · 64.2 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Fort Smith is a city of 89,142 people in Arkansas. 50% of homes are owner-occupied. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $132,800. Getting to work takes 17 minutes on average. 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Renters pay $703 a month at the median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 36.9
US median: 38.8
Less educated
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 35.3 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
71K 76K 81K 86K 92K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Fort Smith Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $45,233
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,157 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $18,994 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 19.0% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 15.8% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Professional, scientific, technical 5.7%
Public administration 3.5%
Transportation & warehousing 2.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.2%
Education & health services 0.8%
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$132,800
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $72,900 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$703
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $424 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 56.3% in 2000
49.5% rent
from 2.48 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 3.0 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 74%(59,436)
Hispanic / Latino 8.8%(7,048)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 56.9%(50,728)
Hispanic / Latino 19.6%(17,466)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 26 more ancestry groups with data from 18.6% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 75.7% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 6.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 10.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 82.7% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 7.5% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 6.3% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 61.1% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 27.8% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 21.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 35.3%(12,511)
Women 15+
Never married 28.7%(10,579)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 21.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 27.5%(1,481)
Gulf War (1990s) 24.1%(1,301)
Share of the 5,394 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Fort Smith Head to head
Compare Fort Smith to nearby cities FORT SMITH VS
Van Buren
Income $61,149 +35%
Home value $181,500 +37%
Population 24,556 −73%
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FORT SMITH VS
Greenwood
Income $66,844 +48%
Home value $182,900 +38%
Population 9,793 −89%
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FORT SMITH VS
Poteau
Income $50,511 +12%
Home value $157,400 +19%
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FORT SMITH VS
Sallisaw
Income $48,036 +6%
Home value $134,100 +1%
Population 8,790 −90%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Fort Smith, Arkansas? Fort Smith, Arkansas has about 89,142 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Fort Smith, Arkansas? The typical household in Fort Smith, Arkansas earns about $45,233 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Fort Smith, Arkansas expensive? In Fort Smith, Arkansas, the median home is worth about $132,800, and the typical rent is about $703 a month.
How educated are people in Fort Smith, Arkansas? About 24.3% of adults age 25 and over in Fort Smith, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Fort Smith, Arkansas? About 18.9% of people in Fort Smith, Arkansas live below the federal poverty line.
Has Fort Smith, Arkansas grown since 1990? Yes, Fort Smith, Arkansas has grown since 1990. The population has added about 16,344 residents, a change of about 22 percent over that period.
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