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Pros and Cons of Living in Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Smith

City in Arkansas

LIVABILITY RATING

67

/ 100

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City Scores and Ratings

C+

LIVABILITY

A+

COST

B

EDUCATION

F

CRIME

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Pros and Cons of Living in Fort Smith

You might be looking to move to Fort Smith, Arkansas or just interested in the city’s livability, so to help you, we’ve put together the pros and cons of living in Fort Smith. This assessment ranks the factors used to assess livability and compares them against other cities on a national and state level. While this assessment should give a good detailed idea about the advantages and disadvantages of living in Fort Smith, it might not incorporate all areas that might appeal to some people.

Since moving to a new city can be a big decision. Hopefully, this evaluation will help you in your career change, relocation, or just a change.

Summary of Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Livability
  • Cost of Living
  • Education

Cons

  • Crime
  • High Poverty Rate

Details of Pros and Cons

Living in Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Smith is a mid sized city in the state of Arkansas which is located in the county of Sebastian. Fort Smith hasn't seen a lot of growth of new residents over the past 5 years but maintained a small consistent amount of new residents moving into the city. The population has reached 87639 with a population growth rate of 0.2% in the last year and 0.9% in the last 5 years.Living in Fort Smith has a urban feel, which can be generally more fast paced than the surrounding suburban areas but not as fast paced as more extremely packed cities. Usually there isn't a problem finding new things to do and your money goes a little further for the space compared to other cities.

City Type:

Urban

Home Value:

$120,300

Mortgage:

$1,013

The estimates above for a typical home value and mortgage are based on median values for the area. Data sources: American Community Survey and the US Census.

Is Fort Smith, Arkansas a good place to live?

Yes, Fort Smith is a great place to live. Fort Smith ranks well in a combination of education, crime, cost of living and diversity. Fort Smith  truly has something for everyone, and that’s why it’s a great place to call home.

Ultimately, what makes a great city to live in is subjective. Some people might prefer a smaller city with a tight-knit community, while others might prefer a larger city with more options. The important thing is that a city provides what its residents need and want. If a city has everything a person is looking for, it can be a great place to live.

There are a lot of factors that make a city a good place to live. One of the most important is affordability. Housing costs shouldn’t consume too much of a person’s income. Another important factor is job availability. A city should have a healthy economy and a variety of jobs to choose from.

A city also needs to be safe. People should feel comfortable walking around at night and there shouldn’t be a lot of crime. Amenities are another important factor. A city should have a variety of restaurants, bars, and other places to go out. It’s also nice if a city has a lot of parks and green spaces.

Finally, a city should be diverse. There should be a variety of cultures and religions represented. People should feel welcome to live in any part of the city. A city that meets all these criteria is a great place to live.

Pros and Cons Details

Pros of Living in Fort Smith

  • Livability – Fort Smith’s overall livability score is above average. This rating is the sum of the city’s data points and factors, and then a weighting of these variables is used to determine a good standard quality of life compared to other cities. The livability score considers education, crime, cost of living, and residents’ overall happiness calculated as a predictive index through our advanced statistical models.
  • Cost of Living – When choosing a new place to live, the cost of living is a significant consideration. The cost of living in Fort Smith is lower than the national average and most cities in the state. While some areas can be higher than others on a state and federal level, the overall average of housing costs, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services are less expensive.
  • Education – Overall, education for the area is good and ranks high on national and statewide levels compared to other cities. These ranking calculations consider factors such as public school graduation rates, enrollment rates, teacher to student ratios, and student and parent reviews. This data and scores are a weighted average of the area’s schools.

Cons of Living in Fort Smith

  • Crime – In Fort Smith, crime rates are higher than in other Urban areas, nationally and statewide. Every day, almost half of the population thinks about crime and safety. If you call Fort Smith home or are considering moving here, this might be a concern, but many contributing factors to the data we could gather could make this not as much of a concern.
  • High Poverty Rate – Fort Smith has a poverty rate of 17% of residents, which is higher than in other cities in the United States. The average poverty rate across cities in America is about 10-13%.

Population & Growth

Population

87,639

1 Year Growth

0.2%

5 Year Growth

0.9%

Who Lives in Fort Smith?

The city is filled with many young adults and people looking to start a family. The median age in the city is about 36 years old. The typical family has on average 3.2 people including children and parents. In terms of diversity, on a national level, Fort Smith ranks number 8027 which is above the national average for diversity and on a state level ranks 152 which is above the state average.

Median Age:

36.2

Average Family Size:

3.15

People in Poverty %:

17%

Data sources: American Community Survey and the US Census.

Population of Male and Female Residents

Male
48.8%
Female
51.2%

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