Can An Elementary School Teacher Afford Rent in Fort Smith, AR?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 23.1% of gross income.
Fort Smith rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Arkansas state estimate).
About rent and an elementary school teacher salary
Teacher affordability is one of the sharpest local-rent lenses available, because public-school pay scales are set by state and district while rent is set by local market conditions. The result is that two teachers with identical credentials can face very different rent burdens depending on where they teach. At the national-average teacher salary, the 30% rule supports about $1,677 a month in rent — comfortable in most of the Midwest and South, tight in mid-cost cities, and out of reach without roommates in the most expensive coastal markets. The per-city pages below combine local rent with local teacher-pay estimates to show where the math works.
Cheaper rent nearby
These Arkansas cities have lower median rent than Fort Smith, which improves the affordability math on an elementary school teacher salary:
Compare with full rent data for Fort Smith
View full rent data for Fort Smith, AR →Frequently asked questions
Can an elementary school teacher afford rent in Fort Smith, AR?
Median rent in Fort Smith is $1,071 a month. A typical elementary school teacher in Arkansas earns about $55,676 a year, which makes that rent 23.1% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can an elementary school teacher afford in Fort Smith?
Using the 30% rule, an elementary school teacher salary in Arkansas (~$55,676/yr) supports up to $1,392 a month in rent. Fort Smith's current median rent is $1,071/mo, which leaves a $321/mo buffer.
How many hours does an elementary school teacher work to cover rent in Fort Smith?
At an hourly equivalent of about $27 an hour, an elementary school teacher in Arkansas works roughly 40 hours a month to cover Fort Smith's median rent of $1,071.
Where is rent cheaper than Fort Smith for an elementary school teacher?
Nearby Arkansas cities with lower median rent include North Little Rock ($1,069/mo), Jacksonville ($1,069/mo), North Little Rock ($1,064/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on an elementary school teacher salary.