Fort Smith vs Jonesboro
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $178,100 in Fort Smith and $223,200 in Jonesboro.
- Fort Smith has the warmer winter: January highs of 51°F vs 47°F.
- Jonesboro is growing faster: +6.1% since 2020 vs +1.9%.
Side by side
| Fort Smith, AR | Jonesboro, AR | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 90,855 | 83,296 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.9% | +6.1% |
| People per square mile | 1,415 | 1,039 |
| Median age | 36.5 | 33.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24% | 32% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $54,816 | $55,424 |
| Median home value | $178,100 | $223,200 |
| Home value to income | 3.2× | 4.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $884 | $956 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 85.9 | 85.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 53.4 | 53.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $64,400 | $64,400 |
| Homeowners | 53% | 54% |
| Top state income tax | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.48% | 9.48% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 16.8 | 18.0 |
| Work from home | 8% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.5% | 6.3% |
| Poverty rate | 18.3% | 22.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 51° / 30° | 47° / 31° |
| July high / low | 94° / 72° | 91° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 47 in | 49 in |
| Snowfall per year | 3 in | 4 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 78 | 66 |
| Nights below freezing | 63 | 65 |
| Comfortable months | 1 | 2 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 86.8 | 91.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 72% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +3.2% | -1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +47.7% | +29.2% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Fort Smith: October. Jonesboro: September to October.
Full monthly tables: Fort Smith weather by month and Jonesboro weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $64,400 in Fort Smith and $64,400 in Jonesboro. Moving from Fort Smith to Jonesboro, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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