Is Alexandria cheaper than Fort Smith?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Alexandria and Fort Smith metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Alexandria or Fort Smith?

Fort Smith has the higher median household income — $60,327 versus $55,909 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 8% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Alexandria or Fort Smith?

A paycheck stretches further in Fort Smith. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $70,239 there versus $65,249 in Alexandria.

Which has cheaper rent, Alexandria or Fort Smith?

Rents are close — $899/mo in the Alexandria metro versus $906/mo in Fort Smith (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Alexandria vs Fort Smith

Metro-area medians — Alexandria, LA Metro Area vs Fort Smith, AR-OK Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Fort Smith comes out ahead, winning 5 of the 8 clearly-decided measures.

Alexandria and Fort Smith cost about the same to live in, but Fort Smith households earn about 8% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Fort Smith.

Their widest everyday difference: Alexandria has cleaner air on a typical day — a median AQI of 39 versus 44.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Alexandria, LA

$59,439

take-home / yr · 21% to tax

$69,368

real value after local prices

Fort Smith, AR

$58,568

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$68,191

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Alexandria leaves you about $1,177/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Alexandria

Fort Smith

Livability (CityLedger)

31/100

35/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

85.7

85.9

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$65,249

$70,239

Median household income

$55,909

$60,327

Median rent

$899/mo

$906/mo

Median home value

$165,800

$207,000

Unemployment

4.5%

4.2%

Bachelor's degree or higher

24.1%

21.4%

Average commute

22.3 min

21.4 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

67°F

62°F

Choose Alexandria for

+ Median home value
+ Bachelor's degree or higher
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full Alexandria profile →

Choose Fort Smith for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
+ Median household income
+ Unemployment
+ Average commute

Full Fort Smith profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Alexandria and Fort Smith on cost, income, size, and education.

Alexandria vs Florence→Alexandria vs Terre Haute→Alexandria vs Monroe→Fort Smith vs Joplin→Fort Smith vs Lake Charles→Fort Smith vs Florence→

Alexandria vs Fort Smith — frequently asked

Is Alexandria cheaper than Fort Smith?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Alexandria and Fort Smith metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Alexandria or Fort Smith?: Fort Smith has the higher median household income — $60,327 versus $55,909 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 8% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Alexandria or Fort Smith?: A paycheck stretches further in Fort Smith. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $70,239 there versus $65,249 in Alexandria.
Which has cheaper rent, Alexandria or Fort Smith?: Rents are close — $899/mo in the Alexandria metro versus $906/mo in Fort Smith (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).