Can A Police Officer Afford Rent in Fort Smith, AR?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 20% of gross income.
Fort Smith rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Arkansas state estimate).
About rent and a police officer salary
The gap between a police officer's base pay and the rent in the city they patrol is a widely tracked local affordability question. Many large-city departments now publish recruitment materials that include a local-rent comparison, because affordability has become a recruiting issue. At the national-average officer base pay, the 30% rule supports about $1,932 a month in rent. The per-city pages combine local rent with local officer-pay estimates to show where rent stays within that range.
Cheaper rent nearby
These Arkansas cities have lower median rent than Fort Smith, which improves the affordability math on a police officer salary:
Compare with full rent data for Fort Smith
View full rent data for Fort Smith, AR →Frequently asked questions
Can a police officer afford rent in Fort Smith, AR?
Median rent in Fort Smith is $1,071 a month. A typical police officer in Arkansas earns about $64,134 a year, which makes that rent 20% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a police officer afford in Fort Smith?
Using the 30% rule, a police officer salary in Arkansas (~$64,134/yr) supports up to $1,603 a month in rent. Fort Smith's current median rent is $1,071/mo, which leaves a $532/mo buffer.
How many hours does a police officer work to cover rent in Fort Smith?
At an hourly equivalent of about $31 an hour, a police officer in Arkansas works roughly 34.7 hours a month to cover Fort Smith's median rent of $1,071.
Where is rent cheaper than Fort Smith for a police officer?
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 a police officer salary.