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
Van Buren
Fort Smith
Opportunity
57 · Top 48%
vs60 · Top 42%
Growth
45 · Bottom 40%
vs56 · Top 39%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience
38 · Bottom 30%
vs58 · Top 50%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs94 · Top 22%
Access
95 · Top 40%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
46 · Bottom 26%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Van Buren | Fort Smith | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,763 | 89,805 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,149 | $54,816 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,398 | $34,413 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,535/sq mi | 1,399/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $181,500 | $178,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $847 | $884 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.6% | 53.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.5% | 1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.9% | 23.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.3% | 18.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 31 | 359 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 4.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -29.5% | -10.5% | 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 | 8 mi | 1 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.2 min | 18.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.5 | 36.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.76 | 13.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 64.8% | 72.8% | 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
Van Buren
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, wildfire.
Fort Smith
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Van Buren
63
Your Score
60
Area Score
Fort Smith
67
Your Score
66
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Van Buren, AR · Fort Smith, AR · How this is calculated: methodology