Is Fort Smith cheaper than Monroe?

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

Which has higher household income, Fort Smith or Monroe?

Fort Smith has the higher median household income — $60,327 versus $56,468 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 7% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Fort Smith or Monroe?

A paycheck stretches further in Fort Smith. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $70,239 there versus $67,548 in Monroe.

Which has cheaper rent, Fort Smith or Monroe?

Rents are close — $906/mo in the Fort Smith metro versus $928/mo in Monroe (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Fort Smith vs Monroe

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

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

Fort Smith and Monroe cost about the same to live in, but Fort Smith households earn about 7% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Fort Smith.

Their widest everyday difference: Monroe is more educated — 25.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree versus 21.4%.

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

Fort Smith, AR

$58,568

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$68,191

real value after local prices

Monroe, LA

$59,439

take-home / yr · 21% to tax

$71,101

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Monroe leaves you about $2,910/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

Fort Smith

Monroe

Livability (CityLedger)

35/100

32/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

85.9

83.6

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$70,239

$67,548

Median household income

$60,327

$56,468

Median rent

$906/mo

$928/mo

Median home value

$207,000

$176,900

Unemployment

4.2%

4.7%

Bachelor's degree or higher

21.4%

25.7%

Average commute

21.4 min

23.1 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

62°F

66°F

Choose Fort Smith for

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

Full Fort Smith profile →

Choose Monroe for

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

Full Monroe profile →

More comparisons

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

Fort Smith vs Joplin→Fort Smith vs Lake Charles→Fort Smith vs Florence→Monroe vs Alexandria→Monroe vs Lake Charles→Monroe vs Jackson→

Fort Smith vs Monroe — frequently asked

Is Fort Smith cheaper than Monroe?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Fort Smith and Monroe metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Fort Smith or Monroe?: Fort Smith has the higher median household income — $60,327 versus $56,468 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 7% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Fort Smith or Monroe?: A paycheck stretches further in Fort Smith. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $70,239 there versus $67,548 in Monroe.
Which has cheaper rent, Fort Smith or Monroe?: Rents are close — $906/mo in the Fort Smith metro versus $928/mo in Monroe (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).