United States › Fort Smith METRO AREA · 2020 ACS
Fort Smith Metro Fort Smith, AR-OK · 3 counties · 227,213 residents · 1,800 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS 2024 ACS
The short version
Fort Smith is home to 227,213 people. 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 33% national rate. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $122,623. Renters pay $707 a month at the median. 6% of people across the metro were born outside the United States. Median household income is $47,119, under the $66,278 national median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.3
US median: 38.8
Less educated
20% 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 126 / sq mi
+10%since 2000
from 115 / sq mi in 2000
from 35.6 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
170K 187K 204K 221K 238K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Fort Smith Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $47,119
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,448 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $16,605 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 19.1% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 14.9% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Professional, scientific, technical 5.7%
Public administration 2.9%
Transportation & warehousing 2.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 2%
Education & health services 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.9%
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$122,623
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $67,689 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$707
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $408 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 68.9% in 2000
35.8% rent
from 2.62 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 2.5 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 80.4%(166,605)
Hispanic / Latino 4.9%(10,246)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 67.3%(152,909)
Hispanic / Latino 11.3%(25,621)
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 37 more ancestry groups with data from 13.8% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 74.1% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 4.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 14.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 81.8% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 6.1% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 7.4% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 60.0% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 26.1% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 19.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 30.1%(27,240)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 19.7% 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) 21.3%(3,448)
Gulf War (1990s) 22.8%(3,704)
Share of the 16,218 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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In this metro
Largest cities Fort SmithCENTRAL 90,855 Van Buren 24,556 Greenwood 9,793 Sallisaw 8,790 Alma 6,071 Barling 5,452 Roland 4,146 Muldrow 3,375 Lavaca 2,528 Mulberry 1,635 Cedarville 1,458 Vian 1,386 Kibler 1,029 Gore 996 Hackett 857 Dyer 807 Brushy 777 Redbird Smith 659 Nicut 609 Bonanza 603 Brent 583 Remy 580 Mountainburg 535 Hartford 499 Evening Shade 489 Huntington 486 Central City 469 Long 450 Akins 450 Carlisle 435 The 30 most populous of 51 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
3 component counties Drill deeper
Metros similar to Fort Smith Head to head
Compare Fort Smith side by side FORT SMITH VS
Lake Havasu City
Income $57,684 +22%
Home value $281,000 +129%
Population 228,102 −3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FORT SMITH VS
Macon-Bibb County
Income $59,225 +26%
Home value $186,510 +52%
Population 238,553 +2%
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FORT SMITH VS
Las Cruces
Income $56,848 +21%
Home value $220,800 +80%
Population 229,091 −2%
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FORT SMITH VS
Johnson City
Income $58,506 +24%
Home value $222,250 +81%
Population 216,416 −8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Fort Smith, AR-OK? Fort Smith, AR-OK has about 227,213 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Fort Smith, AR-OK? The typical household in Fort Smith, AR-OK earns about $47,119 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Fort Smith, AR-OK expensive? In Fort Smith, AR-OK, the median home is worth about $122,623, and the typical rent is about $707 a month.
How educated are people in Fort Smith, AR-OK? About 20.3% of adults age 25 and over in Fort Smith, AR-OK hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Fort Smith, AR-OK? About 17.4% of people in Fort Smith, AR-OK live below the federal poverty line.
Has Fort Smith, AR-OK grown since 1990? Yes, Fort Smith, AR-OK has grown since 1990. The population has added about 51,302 residents, a change of about 29 percent over that period.
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