Fort Smith and Jackson receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Fort Smith
Jackson
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 32%
vs50 · Bottom 39%
Growth
48 · Bottom 48%
vs56 · Top 40%
Climate
63 · Bottom 39%
vs73 · Top 29%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 38%
vs46 · Bottom 36%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 27%
vs91 · Bottom 38%
Access
97 · Top 12%
vs95 · Top 17%
Economic stability
38 · Bottom 32%
vs36 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Fort Smith | Jackson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 229,899 | 611,324 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,468 | $61,644 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,511 | $34,708 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 128/sq mi | 102/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $171,200 | $200,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $866 | $1,072 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.6% | 67.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.0% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.0% | 32.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.4% | 17.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 600 | 1,979 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 3.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -17.6% | 86.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.3" | 51.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.9 min | 26.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.7 | 38.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Fort Smith
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, wildfire.
Jackson
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado, strong wind.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Fort Smith
63
Your Score
60
Area Score
Jackson
64
Your Score
61
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Fort Smith, AR-OK Metro Area · Jackson, MS Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology