Fort Smith, AR-OK

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population
229,899
2024 Poverty Rate
16.4%
4.42% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$58,468
3.09% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$171,200
6.93% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
99,127
1.17% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Fort Smith, AR-OK reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.6% of the residents in Fort Smith, AR-OK are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Fort Smith, AR-OK are University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (1,934 degrees awarded in 2023), Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (165 degrees), and Academy of Salon and Spa (49 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Fort Smith, AR-OK was $171,200, and the homeownership rate was 66.6%.

Most people in Fort Smith, AR-OK drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Fort Smith, AR-OK was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Ozark, AR
Photo by Edgar Pierce
United StatesArkansasOklahoma

Population & Diversity

Fort Smith, AR-OK is home to a population of 230k people, from which 96.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.53% of Fort Smith, AR-OK residents were born outside of the country (15k people).

In 2024, there were 9.56 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (158k people) in Fort Smith, AR-OK than any other race or ethnicity. There were 16.5k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 15k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.6%
2024 Citizenship
96.5%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.6% of Fort Smith, AR-OK residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Fort Smith, AR-OK was 96.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Fort Smith, AR-OK compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Fort Smith, AR-OK
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    158k ± 834
  2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    16.5k ± 888
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    15k ± 1.17k
12.1%
Hispanic Population
27.9k people

In 2024, there were 9.56 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (158k people) in Fort Smith, AR-OK than any other race or ethnicity. There were 16.5k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 15k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

12.1% of the people in Fort Smith, AR-OK are hispanic (27.9k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Fort Smith, AR-OK as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Arkansas.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    172,087 ± 10,059 people
  2. El Salvador
    20,730 ± 3,530 people
  3. India
    20,407 ± 3,502 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Arkansas was Mexico, the natal country of 172,087 Arkansas residents, followed by El Salvador with 20,730 and India with 20,407.

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Foreign-Born Population

6.53%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
15k people
6.31%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
14.4k people

As of 2024, 6.53% of Fort Smith, AR-OK residents (15k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Fort Smith, AR-OK was 6.31%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Fort Smith, AR-OK compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    4,465 ± 442
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    4,017 ± 560
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    2,217 ± 361

Fort Smith, AR-OK has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.11 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Fort Smith, AR-OK.

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Economy

The economy of Fort Smith, AR-OK employs 99.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Fort Smith, AR-OK were Manufacturing (16,364 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (14,230 people), and Retail Trade (11,652 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($64,524), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($59,065), and Transportation & Warehousing ($57,596).

Employment

Occupations

99.1k
2024 Value
± 2,510
1.17%
1 Year growth
± 3.56%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Fort Smith, AR-OK grew at a rate of 1.17%, from 98k employees to 99.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Fort Smith, AR-OK, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (10,937 people), Sales & Related Occupations (10,267 people), and Production Occupations (9,995 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Fort Smith, AR-OK.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Arkansas.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Arkansas (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

99.1k
2024 Value
± 2,510
1.17%
1 Year growth
± 3.56%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Fort Smith, AR-OK grew at a rate of 1.17%, from 98k employees to 99.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Fort Smith, AR-OK, are Manufacturing (16,364 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (14,230 people), and Retail Trade (11,652 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Fort Smith, AR-OK, though some of these residents may live in Fort Smith, AR-OK and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$46,945
Median earning men ± $1,851
$33,888
Median earning women ± $1,043

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($65,360), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,106), and Information ($57,125).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($46,630), Information ($46,212), and Wholesale Trade ($43,611).

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 328
    Retail Trade
  2. 309
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  3. 306
    Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $1.02M
    Manufacturing
  2. $752k
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. $344k
    Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Arkansas and Oklahoma went to Donald J. Trump with 65.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (32.6%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.06%).

James Lankford, Markwayne Mullin, John Boozman, and Tom Cotton are the senators currently representing the state of Oklahoma and Arkansas. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Oklahoma and Arkansas is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Fort Smith, AR-OK. Showing the available data for Arkansas and Oklahoma.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (65.3%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (32.6%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (1.06%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Arkansas and Oklahoma went to Donald J. Trump with 65.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (32.6%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.06%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Arkansas and Oklahoma for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Oklahoma and Arkansas

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Oklahoma and Arkansas.
James Lankford
Senator from Oklahoma3
Assumed office on January 3, 2015
Took office following the resignation of Tom Coburn.
Markwayne Mullin
Senator from Oklahoma2
Assumed office on January 3, 2023
Took office following the resignation of Jim Inhofe.
John Boozman
Senator from Arkansas3
Assumed office on January 3, 2011
Tom Cotton
Senator from Arkansas2
Assumed office on January 3, 2015

James Lankford, Markwayne Mullin, John Boozman, and Tom Cotton are the senators currently representing Oklahoma and Arkansas.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Oklahoma and Arkansas over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Fort Smith, AR-OK awarded 2,193 degrees. The student population of Fort Smith, AR-OK in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2,691 male students and 3,813 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Fort Smith, AR-OK are White (1,284 and 59.4%), Hispanic or Latino (372 and 17.2%), Two or More Races (219 and 10.1%), and Asian (158 and 7.31%).

The largest universities in Fort Smith, AR-OK by number of degrees awarded are University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (1,934 and 88.2%), Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (165 and 7.52%), and Academy of Salon and Spa (49 and 2.23%).

The most popular majors in Fort Smith, AR-OK are General Studies (403 and 18.4%), General Business Administration & Management (164 and 7.48%), and Liberal Arts & Sciences (160 and 7.3%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $4,512 for in-state students and $11,376 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Fort Smith, AR-OK, the percentage of applicants admitted was 81.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 40.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 6,504 (41.4% men and 58.6% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 6,504 students enrolled in Fort Smith, AR-OK, 41.4% men and 58.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,753 records, of which 60% were women and 40% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    157 degrees awarded
  2. Organizational Leadership
    85 degrees awarded
  3. Registered Nursing
    67 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Fort Smith, AR-OK was General Business Administration & Management with 157 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Fort Smith, AR-OK according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
    1,934 degrees awarded
  2. Arkansas Colleges of Health Education
    165 degrees awarded
  3. Academy of Salon and Spa
    49 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Arkansas-Fort Smith with 1,934 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 950 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Fort Smith, AR-OK, which is 0.764 times less than the 1,243 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,284 degrees mean that there were 3.45 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 372 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($4,512) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,394) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,260) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Fort Smith, AR-OK was $171,200 in 2024, which is 0.515 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $160,100 to $171,200, a 6.93% increase. The homeownership rate in Fort Smith, AR-OK is 66.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Fort Smith, AR-OK have an average commute time of 21.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Fort Smith, AR-OK is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$171,200
Median Property Value 2024
±$3,507
$60,605
Median Property Taxes
±$1,835

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Fort Smith, AR-OK the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Fort Smith, AR-OK compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

66.6%
Homeownership
2024
67.5%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 66.6% of the housing units in Fort Smith, AR-OK were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Fort Smith, AR-OK compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$58,468
Median Household Income
± $1,723
91k
Number of Households
± 2,387

In 2024, the median household income of the 91k households in Fort Smith, AR-OK grew to $58,468 from the previous year's value of $56,717.

The following chart displays the households in Fort Smith, AR-OK distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Fort Smith, AR-OK is from Arkansas.
0.45
2023 Wage GINI in Arkansas
0.454
2022 Wage GINI in Arkansas

In 2023, the income inequality in Arkansas was 0.45 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.776% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Arkansas was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Arkansas in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Arkansas across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (80.2%)
  2. Carpooled (10.4%)
  3. Worked At Home (6.77%)

In 2024, 80.2% of workers in Fort Smith, AR-OK drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.4%) and those who worked at home (6.77%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

21.5 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Fort Smith, AR-OK have a shorter commute time (21.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.68% of the workforce in Fort Smith, AR-OK have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Fort Smith, AR-OK compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Fort Smith, AR-OK distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Fort Smith, AR-OK have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

16.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Fort Smith, AR-OK (37k out of 226k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Fort Smith, AR-OK is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

89% of the population of Fort Smith, AR-OK has health coverage, with 37% on employee plans, 23.2% on Medicaid, 12.8% on Medicare, 13.3% on non-group plans, and 2.65% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Arkansas see 1,478 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,478 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2044 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 368 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Arkansas.
1,478 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Arkansas

Primary care physicians in Arkansas see an average of 1,478 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,478 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Arkansas in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.1% under 18 years, 20.3% between 18 and 34 years, 37.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

11%
Uninsured
37%
Employer Coverage
23.2%
Medicaid
12.8%
Medicare
13.3%
Non-Group
2.65%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Fort Smith, AR-OK declined by 0.71% from 11.1% to 11%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Fort Smith, AR-OK changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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