Fort Smith is a city located in Sebastian County Arkansas. Fort Smith has a 2024 population of 89,975. Fort Smith is currently growing at a rate of 0.23% annually and its population has increased by 0.92% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 89,153 in 2020.
The average household income in Fort Smith is $81,694 with a poverty rate of 18.9%. The median age in Fort Smith is 36.4 years: 35.2 years for males, and 37.2 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Fort Smith was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 55,982 | 62.68% |
| Other race | 11,395 | 12.76% |
| Two or more races | 8,353 | 9.35% |
| Black or African American | 7,214 | 8.08% |
| Asian | 5,186 | 5.81% |
| Native American | 1,032 | 1.16% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 153 | 0.17% |
White
Other race
Two or more races
Black or African American
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 36,373 | 2.41 | 51.4 | 48.6 |
| Married | 14,946 | 3.14 | 70.3 | 29.7 |
| Non Family | 13,514 | 1.23 | 37.2 | 62.8 |
| Female | 6,120 | 3.08 | 35.6 | 64.4 |
| Male | 1,793 | 3.03 | 54.4 | 45.6 |
2.99
Average Family Size
2.41
Average Household Size
51.4%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 5,307 | 8.97% |
| Associates Degree | 4,370 | 7.39% |
| Bachelors Degree | 9,211 | 15.58% |
| Graduate Degree | 5,534 | 9.36% |
| High School Graduate | 16,831 | 28.46% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 4,670 | 7.9% |
| Some College | 13,215 | 22.35% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 39,161 | 35,641 | 11,694 |
| Hispanic | 8,842 | 4,517 | 966 |
| Other Race | 6,175 | 2,848 | 367 |
| Black | 4,447 | 3,619 | 568 |
| 2+ Races | 3,700 | 3,053 | 907 |
| Asian | 3,365 | 2,528 | 724 |
| Native American | 695 | 626 | 184 |
| Islander | 68 | 0 | 0 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 91.01%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 29.86%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $49,136 | $61,856 | $44,491 |
| Graduate Degree | $71,250 | $86,988 | $57,031 |
| High School Graduate | $29,105 | $33,655 | $25,580 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $29,626 | $35,873 | $25,163 |
| Overall | $36,551 | $41,816 | $31,742 |
| Some College | $34,637 | $39,378 | $31,789 |
$36,551
Average Earnings
$41,816
Average Male
$31,742
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
79.38% of Fort Smith residents speak only English, while 20.62% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 14.99% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 51,798 | 7,350 | 14.19% |
| Hispanic | 17,376 | 5,059 | 29.11% |
| Other | 11,333 | 3,520 | 31.06% |
| Black | 7,057 | 2,154 | 30.52% |
| Multiple | 8,257 | 1,976 | 23.93% |
| Asian | 5,182 | 953 | 18.39% |
| Native | 1,018 | 155 | 15.23% |
18.9%
Overall Poverty Rate
17.53%
Male Poverty Rate
20.24%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Fort Smith is Other, with 31.06% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Fort Smith is White, with 14.19% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.78%. Among those working part-time, it was 27.03%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 27.51%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 29.91% |
| High School | 20.11% |
| Some College | 14.2% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 5.36% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 49.78% |
| Male Unemployed | 44.27% |
| Female Employed | 9.67% |
| Male Employed | 8.83% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $62,787 | $102,285 |
| Households | $50,799 | $81,694 |
| Married Families | $80,690 | $130,182 |
| Non Families | $32,110 | $42,248 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
45.1%
Overall Marriage Rate
47.1%
Male Marriage Rate
43.2%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 45-54, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
5,014
Number of Veterans
4,431
Male Veterans
583
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Second Gulf War | 1,490 |
| First Gulf War | 1,392 |
| Vietnam | 1,285 |
| Korea | 260 |
| World War II | 71 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 35 to 54 | 1,328 |
| 55 to 64 | 1,142 |
| 75+ | 1,053 |
| 65 to 74 | 860 |
| 18 to 34 | 631 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 4,045 | 8.9% |
| Hispanic | 385 | 3.47% |
| Other Race | 350 | 4.58% |
| Black | 297 | 5.62% |
| 2+ Races | 203 | 4.33% |
| Asian | 77 | 1.96% |
| Native American | 42 | 5.53% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
11.57%
Veteran Poverty Rate
44.62%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
61.4%
Labor Force Participation
57.5%
Employment Rate
6.1%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
53.27%
Born in Fort Smith
88.69%
Native Born
11.31%
Foreign Born
6.7%
Non Citizen
4.61%
Naturalized
88.69% of Fort Smith residents were born in the United States, with 53.27% having been born in Arkansas. 6.7% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 91,004 | 206 | 0.23% |
| 2028 | 90,798 | 206 | 0.23% |
| 2027 | 90,592 | 205 | 0.23% |
| 2026 | 90,387 | 206 | 0.23% |
| 2025 | 90,181 | 206 | 0.23% |
| 2024 | 89,975 | 205 | 0.23% |
| 2023 | 89,770 | -310 | -0.34% |
| 2022 | 90,080 | 580 | 0.65% |
| 2021 | 89,500 | 347 | 0.39% |
| 2020 | 89,153 | 1,355 | 1.54% |
| 2019 | 87,798 | 55 | 0.06% |
| 2018 | 87,743 | -187 | -0.21% |
| 2017 | 87,930 | 231 | 0.26% |
| 2016 | 87,699 | -68 | -0.08% |
| 2015 | 87,767 | 558 | 0.64% |
| 2014 | 87,209 | -232 | -0.27% |
| 2013 | 87,441 | -223 | -0.25% |
| 2012 | 87,664 | 435 | 0.5% |
| 2011 | 87,229 | 926 | 1.07% |
| 2010 | 86,303 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 80,268 | 7,470 | 10.26% |
| 1990 | 72,798 | 1,172 | 1.64% |
| 1980 | 71,626 | 8,824 | 14.05% |
| 1970 | 62,802 | 9,811 | 18.51% |
| 1960 | 52,991 | 5,049 | 10.53% |
| 1950 | 47,942 | 11,358 | 31.05% |
| 1940 | 36,584 | 5,155 | 16.4% |
| 1930 | 31,429 | 2,559 | 8.86% |
| 1920 | 28,870 | 4,895 | 20.42% |
| 1910 | 23,975 | 12,388 | 106.91% |
| 1900 | 11,587 | 276 | 2.44% |
| 1890 | 11,311 | 8,212 | 264.99% |
| 1880 | 3,099 | -87,905 | -96.59% |