Fort Smith receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fort Smith
Van Buren
Opportunity
60 · Top 42%
vs57 · Top 48%
Growth
56 · Top 39%
vs45 · Bottom 40%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience
58 · Top 50%
vs38 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 22%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
95 · Top 40%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
43 · Bottom 22%
vs46 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Fort Smith | Van Buren | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 89,805 | 23,763 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,816 | $61,149 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,413 | $29,398 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,399/sq mi | 1,535/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $178,100 | $181,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $884 | $847 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.4% | 65.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.5% | 1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.9% | 20.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.3% | 15.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 359 | 31 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.0 | 1.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -10.5% | -29.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.3" | 47.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 1 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.1 min | 21.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.5 | 36.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 26 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.78 | 14.76 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 72.8% | 64.8% | 2024-25 school 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.
Van Buren
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, wildfire.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Fort Smith
67
Your Score
66
Area Score
Van Buren
63
Your Score
60
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Fort Smith, AR · Van Buren, AR · How this is calculated: methodology