NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Fort Smith, AR

Metro Market Score 59.5 (Challenging), ranked #180 of 298 metros. 496 establishments, 8,639 jobs.

Metro Market Score 59.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national accommodation and food services average.

⚡Rising Wages

Accommodation and Food Services employment in Fort Smith contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the lower half at 4.0. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

40.9

LQ: 0.99

Rank #122 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

21.1

$21,324 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 4.0

Employment growth index

Rank #287 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

76.1

YoY wage change index

496 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Fort Smith

496

Establishments

-9.5% YoY

8,639

Total Employment

-8.1% YoY

$21,324

Average Annual Wage

+4.9% YoY

0.99

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Arkansas

#1 of 2

accommodation and food services metros in state

Arkansas state rank

#26 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

-2.5

better than median (62.0)

Fort Smith vs Arkansas Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to Arkansas overall. The state ranks #26/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Fort Smith	AR Statewide
Overall Score	59.5 Challenging	36.9 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#180 of 298 metros	#26 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Fort Smith

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 39.1 Other Services 44.7 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 46.0 Construction 46.4 Finance and Insurance 51.6 Retail Trade 60.2 Information 66.8

Accommodation and Food Services in Other Arkansas Metros

Hot Springs 62.0 #207/298

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Fort Smith's 59.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Jacksonville, NC 59.4 #179/298 Pocatello, ID 59.7 #181/298 Elmira, NY 59.7 #182/298 Ann Arbor, MI 59.3 #178/298 Bloomington, IN 59.9 #183/298 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN 59.1 #177/298 Fayetteville, NC 60.0 #184/298 Harrisonburg, VA 60.1 #185/298 Evansville, IN 60.2 #186/298 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 60.2 #187/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering Arkansas

State-level entry risk for accommodation and food services in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Tennessee 29.5 #13/51 Oklahoma 35.0 #20/51 Mississippi 35.6 #21/51 Louisiana 43.8 #36/51 Texas 46.0 #38/51 Missouri 47.2 #42/51

Browse Accommodation and Food Services in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for accommodation and food services across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Fort Smith's accommodation and food services sector, the employment growth component (96.0) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Fort Smith, AR-OK MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment