Rents are 4% below what Fort Smith's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,063 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Fort Smith usually run 0.7% below trend in January and 0.8% above it in May, about $16 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Fort Smith is 0.7% below its high of $1,070 in June 2026, at $1,063 as of September 2026.
Rent in Fort Smith changed +1.7% over the year to September 2026. Across the 24 Arkansas cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.7%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Fort Smith rose 43.1% while median household income rose 31.4% ($41,724 to $54,816). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Fort Smith is 46.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has fallen 3 months in a row, and rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($54,816) is $1,370 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,304); a 4-bedroom is $1,578.
The priciest of 5 ZIP codes in Fort Smith, 72916 ($1,356/mo), costs 1.6 times the cheapest, 72901 ($860/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Fort Smith. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Fort Smith, AR is roughly split between renters and owners, has a median income below the national average, 23.9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Fort Smith, AR has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Fort Smith, AR has shifted from $788 to $1,063, up 34.9% since 2021. Census figures show median household income at $54,816 today, compared with $48,033 five years earlier. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. The renter share has eased from 48.3% to 46.6%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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At $1,063/mo, how Fort Smith rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Fort Smith rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Fort Smith. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Fort Smith
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Fort Smith is $1,063/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $726/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $958/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $728/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,304/mo.
At 23% of local median household income ($54,816/yr), Fort Smith ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.7% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Fort Smith rent compare to other cities in Arkansas?
At $1,063/mo, rent takes ~23% of Fort Smith's median household income ($54,816/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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