Fort Smith, Arkansas Population 2023

90,021

Fort Smith is a city located in Sebastian County Arkansas. It is also the county seat of Sebastian County. With a 2023 population of 90,021, it is the 3rd largest city in Arkansas and the 410th largest city in the United States.Fort Smith is currently growing at a rate of 0.33% annually and its population has increased by 0.99% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 89,142 in 2020. Spanning over 68 miles, Fort Smith has a population density of 1,422 people per square mile.

The average household income in Fort Smith is $60,889 with a poverty rate of 23.12%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Fort Smith is 36.7 years, 35.2 years for males, and 38.4 years for females.

Fort Smith Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Fort Smith was:

  • White: 62.79%
  • Other race: 13.89%
  • Black or African American: 8.76%
  • Two or more races: 7.27%
  • Asian: 6.1%
  • Native American: 1.16%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.03%
The current population of Fort Smith, Arkansas is 90,021 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 89,142.

Fort Smith, Arkansas Population 2023

Population by Race

White

Other race

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Fort Smith Population by Race

Fort Smith Population Pyramid 2023

Fort Smith Median Age

36.7

Total

35.2

Male

38.4

Female

Fort Smith Adults

There are 66,900 adults, (13,122 of whom are seniors) in Fort Smith.

Fort Smith Age Dependency

63.2

Age Dependency Ratio

24.4

Old Age Dependency Ratio

38.8

Child Dependency Ratio

Fort Smith Sex Ratio

Female44,54750.74%
Male43,24149.26%

Fort Smith Population by Age

Fort Smith Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

2.99

Average Family Size

2.38

Average Household Size

50.6%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Fort Smith Households and Families

Male

Female

Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Fort Smith Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Fort Smith Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 77.71%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among 2+ races people with a rate of 24.88%.

Fort Smith Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

$32,321

Average Earnings

$37,634

Average Male

$27,432

Average Female

Fort Smith Earnings by Educational Attainment

Fort Smith Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Fort Smith Language

79.14% of Fort Smith residents speak only English, while 20.86% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 15.84% of the population.

Fort Smith Language

Fort Smith Poverty by Race

rate

23.12%

Overall Poverty Rate

17.13%

Male Poverty Rate

20.62%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Fort Smith

The race most likely to be in poverty in Fort Smith is Hispanic, with 44.66% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Fort Smith is Asian, with 13.68% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.2%. Among those working part-time, it was 24.61%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 26.5%.

Fort Smith Poverty

Fort Smith Poverty Rate by Education

Fort Smith Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Fort Smith Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

mean

median

Income by Household Type

Fort Smith Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

44.8%

Overall Marriage Rate

46.7%

Male Marriage Rate

43.0%

Female Marriage Rate

Fort Smith Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Fort Smith Marriage

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.

Fort Smith Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Fort Smith Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

5,394

Number of Veterans

4,839

Male Veterans

555

Female Veterans

Fort Smith Veterans by War

Fort Smith Veterans by Age

count

Fort Smith Veterans by Race

Fort Smith Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

6.99%

Veteran Poverty Rate

40.1%

Veteran Disability Rate

Fort Smith Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

62.2%

Labor Force Participation

58.7%

Employment Rate

5.6%

Unemployment Rate

Fort Smith Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Fort Smith Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Fort Smith Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

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.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

52.26%

Born in Fort Smith

86.92%

Native Born

11.56%

Foreign Born

6.51%

Non Citizen

5.05%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

86.92% of Fort Smith residents were born in the United States, with 52.26% having been born in Arkansas. 6.51% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Fort Smith Place of Birth

Note: data after 2020 is projected based on recent growth

Fort Smith Population by Year