Data & Demographics Summary

According to the 2020 Census Quick Facts report, Fort Smith is home to over 36,000 households and almost 90,000 residents. Fort Smith enjoys a younger population with nearly 24% of the population under 18 years of age. Approximately 15% of the population reported being over 65 years or older.

In 2020, The four largest ethnic groups in Fort Smith’s population reflected 62.8% White, 19.6% Hispanic/ Latino, 8.8% Black/African American, and 6.1% Asian. Approximately 12% of the population reported being born in another country and approximately 21% reported speaking another language other than English at home.

Educational opportunities within Fort Smith make learning and continuing education accessible for all. Universities within the city limits include the University of Arkansas Fort Smith and Arkansas College of Heath Education. 82.4% of residents obtained their high school diploma, while 24.3% obtained a Bachelor’s degree.

Local Economy

Total sales tax revenue in 2021 increased 15% over 2020 revenue. This was compared to a 4% increase in 2020 over 2019. The local economy growth is positive. The City has seen significant industrial and residential development.

Business and Industry

Several major companies have longstanding and growing interests in the region, including OK Foods, Kraft-Planters, ABB Motors and Mechanical Inc., Umarex USA, Phoenix Metals, Mars Petcare, ArcBest, PRADCO Outdoor Brands, Graphic Packaging, Owens Corning, Nestle and Georgia-Pacific Dixie Products.

University of Arkansas Fort Smith (UAFS) and Fort Smith Public Schools announced a collaboration for a regional career and technology center. The center will focus on instructional strategies within the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) disciplines. Students attending the center will receive a hands on approach to career focused curriculum and programming taught by UAFS faculty as an extension of the Western Arkansas Technical Center. The center welcomed students in the spring 2022 semester.

The Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) opened its first medical college at Chaffee Crossing in Fort Smith in Fall 2017. The Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (ARCOM) graduated its inaugural class of 145 osteopathic medical students in spring 2021. ACHE’s second building, the College of Health Sciences, a $25 million, 66,000 square foot facility was completed in January 2020 and will be the home for future programs: School of Physical Therapy (PT), School of Occupational Therapy (OT), and Physician Assistant Studies (PA). The School of Occupational Therapy has been granted candidacy status for the doctor of occupational therapy program. Inaugural class began January 2022. The School of Physical Therapy welcomed its first class of 36 students in June 2021. The ACHE campus has become a center of development in the River Valley. Part of this development includes the Heritage Community.

ACHE officials broke ground December 15, 2021 on a 78,131 square foot, $22.5 million commercial building at the Village at Heritage. This building will hold commercial businesses on the ground floor and student housing on the second and third levels. The Heritage Community is made up of the Village at Heritage, which features both residential and commercial spaces, and The Porches at Heritage, a collection of modern cottages. ACHE announced the purchase of the former headquarters of Golden Living. This space will become the the new home of the ACHE Wellness Institute and Medical Research Center. It will be the largest research institution of any Osteopathic School in the nation. ACHE has requested to purchase more land from the Chaffee Trust. ACHE received an anonymous gift of $32 million to promote a culture of health for the region. The donation will support a holistic approach to health and wellness and will include partnerships with public schools, art centers, community gardens and Brightwater, an academic department of Northwest Arkansas Community College. The partnership between ACHE and Brightwater will present an opportunity for a culinary arts degree.

The newly built Fort Smith VA Clinic opened in spring 2022. The $6.9 million clinic now offers primary care, mental health, lab, X-ray, optometry, home-based primary care, the VA Supportive Housing Program and pharmacy. The 34,000 square foot clinic will also provide CT and audiology in the future. The new clinic tripled the exam and consult rooms from 9 to 27 rooms.

The downtown building formerly housing The Shipley Baking Company was renovated and is currently known as The Bakery District. Phase I of The Bakery District was completed and celebrated with a grand opening in June 2020 with two tenants and a food truck. University of Arkansas Fort Smith occupies approximately 10,000 square feet of space for the Family Enterprise Center and the Center for Business for Professional Development as well as the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center. The next phase of this project will bring a pub and bistro.

Hytrol announced plans to invest more than $20 million to open a manufacturing operation that will employ up to 250 people within five years. A few short months later, Hytrol announced it would introduce another product line to the Fort Smith facility. This line will require another 100 new positions. Mars Petcare announced a $145 million expansion plan to its current facility. The expansion is expected to create more than 120 jobs. The company announced a second expansion in September of 2021 for a 47,000 square foot warehouse and adds two additional production lines with an investment of an additional $117 million and it is expected to create an additional 140 new full-time jobs. This addition will increase production capacity by more than 75 percent.

Owens Corning announced its intention to build a new 550,000 square foot manufacturing plant that will replace the existing plant. The project is estimated at $115 million and is expected to add five jobs. Construction began on the emergency room and intensive care unit expansion of Mercy Hospital Fort Smith. The estimated cost is $162 million with completion estimated in 2024. The Fort Smith hospital will expand its emergency room from 29 to 50 rooms and increase ICU capacity from 38 to 64.

The Fort Smith Metropolitan Region

Nearly 300,000 people from within the surrounding metropolitan statistical area look to Fort Smith for their shopping, entertainment, employment, education, and healthcare needs. People within the surrounding region travel to Fort Smith daily via multiple interstates and an expansive interconnected highway system. While it’s not hard commuting in country this pretty – the mean travel time to work is just over 16 minutes.