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Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area: population growth, jobs and income

The Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area gained 1,164 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.5%).

The Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area had an estimated 234,140 residents in 2025, up 3.1% (6,930 more people) since 2020.

Data as of 2025 · updated

Sebastian County report — $99All metro areas

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Headline numbers

Population, migration, employment, permits, unemployment and income are the figures each agency publishes for the area itself (OMB Bulletin 23-01 delineation; ACS 2016-20 and CBP 2018 use the delineation of their year). IRS migration is the sum of the member counties.

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration added 832 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.

Private employers had 82,941 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −10.5% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 4.1% in 2025, 0.8 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 663 new homes in 2025, or 2.8 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $58,468 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +25.9% since 2016–20.

Population growth over five years ranks 4th of 7 Arkansas metro areas, 3rd of 5 Oklahoma metro areas and 147th of 362 U.S. metro areas.

IRS tax-return data for 2022-2023 show a net gain of 808 people (the sum of its counties).

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How it ranks

MeasureAmong U.S. metro areas
Population growth147th of 362
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents108th of 362
Private-sector job growth346th of 352
Median household income332nd of 362
Lowest unemployment rate188th of 362
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents210th of 362

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment), against areas with a figure for the same period.

Fastest-growing metro areas in Arkansas · Fastest-growing metro areas in Oklahoma · Fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S.

Get the Sebastian County report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for Sebastian County, AR, the principal county of the Fort Smith, AR-OK area, as a PDF: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Counties in this metro area

Sebastian County, AR led the change: of the 6,930 residents the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area gained from 2020 to 2025 (the sum of its counties), it added 2,834 (41%).

The 3 counties of the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area: Census population estimates
CountyRoleResidents2025Share of residents2025Change2020–2025Share of the change2020–2025
Sebastian County, ARCentral130,64155.8%+2,834 (+2.2%)41%
Crawford County, ARCentral62,65726.8%+2,493 (+4.1%)36%
Sequoyah County, OKOutlying40,84217.4%+1,603 (+4.1%)23%

Census Bureau population estimates (July 1). Shares are of the member counties' total; a share of the change shows only when every county moved the same way. – means no figure for the common period.

All Arkansas counties · All Oklahoma counties

Nearby and similar metro areas

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Questions

Is the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area growing?

Yes. Its population grew 3.1% between 2020 and 2025, about 6,930 more people (Census Bureau population estimates).

Which county in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area is growing fastest?

Crawford County, AR. Its population grew 4.1% between 2020 and 2025, the fastest of the 3 member counties (Census Bureau population estimates).

How many people moved to the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area?

On net, about 832 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area?

It averaged 4.1% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area?

About 234,140 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

Sebastian County data alerts

Email me when Sebastian County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Sebastian County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.