Population

Fort Smith

89,496

Roanoke

98,677

Median Income

Fort Smith

$52,692

Roanoke

$52,671

Home Value

Fort Smith

$168,100

Roanoke

$180,500

Rent

Fort Smith

$852

Roanoke

$964

Crime Rate

Fort Smith

8.44

Roanoke

6.20

Cost of Living

Fort Smith

85.9

Roanoke

91.4

Avg Temp

Fort Smith

N/A

Roanoke

N/A

Unemployment

Fort Smith

6.7%

Roanoke

5.5%

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How Similar Are Fort Smith & Roanoke?

Roanoke is Fort Smith's #6 most similar city

6/10

6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Fort Smith

89,496

vs

Roanoke

98,677

Match · 9% difference

Both cities have similar populations — Fort Smith at 89,496 and Roanoke at 98,677.

Violent Crime

Fort Smith

8.44

vs

Roanoke

6.20

Different · 26% difference
🚨

Fort Smith has a 26% higher violent crime than Roanoke.

Property Crime

🔒

Fort Smith

36.84

vs

Roanoke

40.56

Match · 9% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 9% difference.

Political Leaning

Fort Smith

67.6%

vs

Roanoke

37.5%

Different · 45% difference
🗳️

Fort Smith leans Republican while Roanoke leans Democratic.

Unemployment

💼

Fort Smith

6.7%

vs

Roanoke

5.5%

Different · 18% difference

Fort Smith has a 18% higher unemployment than Roanoke.

Median Income

Fort Smith

$52,692

vs

Roanoke

$52,671

Match · 0% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 0% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Fort Smith

$168,100

vs

Roanoke

$180,500

Match · 7% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 7% difference.

Education

Fort Smith

16.9%

vs

Roanoke

20.2%

Different · 16% difference
🎓

Roanoke has a 16% higher education than Fort Smith.

Demographics

🌍

Fort Smith

61.2%

vs

Roanoke

57.5%

Match · 6% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 6% difference.

Cost of Living

Fort Smith

85.9

vs

Roanoke

91.4

Match · 6% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 6% difference.

6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Fort Smith and Roanoke share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Fort Smith

vsof 8

0

Roanoke

Roanoke leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Fort Smith leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Fort Smith has a fair market rent (1br) of $714 vs $1,053 in Roanoke (32% lower). Fort Smith has a fair market rent (2br) of $937 vs $1,254 in Roanoke (25% lower). Fort Smith scores 87.3 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 100.2 in Roanoke.

Overall Cost Index

Fort Smith85.9
Roanoke91.4

Housing Index

Fort Smith87.3
Roanoke100.2

Food Index

Fort Smith90.3
Roanoke90.3

Transportation Index

Fort Smith75.5
Roanoke80.5

Healthcare Index

Fort Smith92.2
Roanoke92.2

Utilities Index

Fort Smith91.6
Roanoke94.2

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Fort Smith$37,789
Roanoke$40,220

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Fort Smith$89,319
Roanoke$95,065

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Fort Smith$714
Roanoke$1,053

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Fort Smith$937
Roanoke$1,254

Housing Market — Fort Smith leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Fort Smith has a median property tax of $1,118 vs $1,828 in Roanoke (39% lower). Fort Smith has a vacancy rate of 9.1% compared to 11.2% in Roanoke. Fort Smith has a median rent of $852 vs $964 in Roanoke (12% lower).

Median Home Value

Fort Smith$168,100
Roanoke$180,500

Median Rent

Fort Smith$852
Roanoke$964

Median Property Tax

Fort Smith$1,118
Roanoke$1,828

Owner-Occupied

Fort Smith53.0%
Roanoke51.7%

Vacancy Rate

Fort Smith9.1%
Roanoke11.2%

Single-Family Homes

Fort Smith68.8%
Roanoke64.8%

Jobs & Economy — Roanoke leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Roanoke has a work from home of 10.7% compared to 7.4% in Fort Smith. Roanoke has a unemployment rate of 5.5% compared to 6.7% in Fort Smith. Roanoke: 49,076 vs Fort Smith: 43,801 for labor force.

Median Household Income

Fort Smith$52,692
Roanoke$52,671

Per Capita Income

Fort Smith$33,991
Roanoke$34,792

Poverty Rate

Fort Smith18.3%
Roanoke19.7%

Unemployment Rate

Fort Smith6.7%
Roanoke5.5%

Labor Force

Fort Smith43,801
Roanoke49,076

Mean Commute

Fort Smith16 min
RoanokeN/A

Work from Home

Fort Smith7.4%
Roanoke10.7%

Private Sector

Fort Smith92.6%
Roanoke88.1%

Government Sector

Fort Smith43.8%
Roanoke42.5%

Crime & Safety — Fort Smith leads

Source: FBI UCR

Fort Smith has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.00 compared to 0.11 in Roanoke. Roanoke has a assault rate (per 1k) of 4.30 compared to 6.87 in Fort Smith. Roanoke has a violent crime rate (per 1k) of 6.20 compared to 8.44 in Fort Smith.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Fort Smith8.44
Roanoke6.20

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Fort Smith36.84
Roanoke40.56

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Fort Smith0.00
Roanoke0.11

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Fort Smith0.66
Roanoke0.93

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Fort Smith6.87
Roanoke4.30

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Fort Smith4.67
Roanoke3.88

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Fort Smith29.04
Roanoke32.73

Violent Crime Clearance

Fort Smith73.3%
Roanoke58.5%

Property Crime Clearance

Fort Smith11.7%
Roanoke18.3%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

Fort SmithN/A
RoanokeN/A

Avg Annual High

Fort SmithN/A
RoanokeN/A

Avg Annual Low

Fort SmithN/A
RoanokeN/A

Sunny Days per Year

Fort SmithN/A
RoanokeN/A

Annual Rainfall

Fort SmithN/A
RoanokeN/A

Annual Snowfall

Fort SmithN/A
RoanokeN/A

Avg Humidity

Fort SmithN/A
RoanokeN/A

Schools & Education — Roanoke leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Roanoke has a high school diploma or higher of 44.0% compared to 36.1% in Fort Smith. Roanoke has a bachelor's degree or higher of 20.2% compared to 16.9% in Fort Smith.

Public Schools

Fort Smith0
Roanoke0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

Fort SmithN/A
RoanokeN/A

Colleges & Universities

Fort Smith0
Roanoke0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Fort Smith16.9%
Roanoke20.2%

High School Diploma or Higher

Fort Smith36.1%
Roanoke44.0%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Roanoke has a population of 98,677, about 1.1x the size of Fort Smith (89,496). Fort Smith skews younger with a median age of 36.6 vs 38.0.

Population

Fort Smith89,496
Roanoke98,677

Median Age

Fort Smith37
Roanoke38

Avg Household Size

Fort Smith2.4
Roanoke2.2

Married Population

Fort Smith38.2%
Roanoke30.1%

Foreign Born

Fort Smith11.7%
Roanoke7.5%

White

Fort Smith61.2%
Roanoke57.5%

Black

Fort Smith7.7%
Roanoke29.0%

Hispanic

Fort Smith20.0%
Roanoke8.6%

Asian

Fort Smith5.7%
Roanoke3.1%

Fort Smith

Roanoke

Healthcare — Roanoke leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Roanoke: 3.8 vs Fort Smith: 2.5 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Roanoke: 5 vs Fort Smith: 4 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

Fort Smith5
Roanoke5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Fort Smith2.5
Roanoke3.8

With Emergency Services

Fort Smith4
Roanoke5

Transportation & Commute — Roanoke leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Roanoke has a public transit of 2.4% compared to 0.2% in Fort Smith. Roanoke has a bicycle of 0.2% compared to 0.1% in Fort Smith. Roanoke has a work from home of 10.7% compared to 7.4% in Fort Smith.

Mean Commute Time

Fort Smith16 min
RoanokeN/A

Drive Alone

Fort Smith77.8%
Roanoke76.2%

Public Transit

Fort Smith0.2%
Roanoke2.4%

Bicycle

Fort Smith0.1%
Roanoke0.2%

Work from Home

Fort Smith7.4%
Roanoke10.7%

Airports

Fort Smith0
Roanoke0

Cities Similar to Fort Smith, AR

Compare Fort Smith against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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