Fort Smith vs Little Rock
Fort Smith, Arkansas versus Little Rock, Arkansas: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Fort Smith and Little Rock score about the same overall (45 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Fort Smith | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $51k | $59k |
| Cost of Living | $42k | $46k |
| Home Value | $156k | $206k |
| Monthly Rent | $798 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.70% | 0.87% |
| Income Tax | 4.40% | 4.40% |
| Sales Tax | 9.45% | 9.45% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.65% | 10.58% |
| Unemployment | 6.1% | 4.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 40°F | 41°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 82°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 47.3 in | 52.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.9 in | 3.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 255 days | 209 days |
| Summer Humidity | 70°F | 71°F |
| Comfortable Days | 72 days | 81 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 67.2 | 60.4 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 53 AQI |
| School Quality | 53.1 | 54.9 |
| Violent Crime | 3397/100k | 5379/100k |
| Property Crime | 4944/100k | 5351/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 89,315 | 202,218 |
| Median Age | 36.4 | 36.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.57 | 0.60 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.89 |
| Political Leaning | R+37 | D+23 |
| White (%) | 59.4% | 44.6% |
| Black (%) | 8.0% | 41.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 19.6% | 7.8% |
| Asian (%) | 5.7% | 3.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.3% | 3.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 18 min |
| Walkability | 8.1/20 | 13.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 104 mi | 136 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 81.5% | 87.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 19.82 | 14.64 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Fort Smith or Little Rock more affordable?
- Fort Smith has the lower cost of living: its index is $42k, compared with Fort Smith's $42k and Little Rock's $46k. Median rent is $798 in Fort Smith versus $1k in Little Rock.
- Is Fort Smith or Little Rock safer?
- Fort Smith has the lower violent crime rate. Fort Smith reports 3397/100k and Little Rock reports 5379/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Fort Smith or Little Rock?
- The median home value is $156k in Fort Smith and $206k in Little Rock, so homes are more affordable in Fort Smith.