NAICS 23

Construction in Fort Smith, AR

Metro Market Score 46.4 (Moderate), ranked #159 of 342 metros. 498 establishments, 4,339 jobs.

Metro Market Score 46.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Construction wages in Fort Smith run well below the metro average (competitiveness index: 5.6), and year-over-year wage pressure is low at 43.0. For labor-intensive operations, this cost advantage could improve unit economics significantly.

Industry Concentration

29.8

LQ: 0.86

Rank #102 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

5.6

$56,772 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 3.5

Employment growth index

Rank #331 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

43.0

YoY wage change index

498 Construction Firms in Fort Smith

498

Establishments

-13.4% YoY

4,339

Total Employment

-9.3% YoY

$56,772

Average Annual Wage

+8.2% YoY

0.86

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Arkansas

#5 of 5

construction metros in state

Arkansas state rank

#8 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+7.9

worse than median (38.5)

Fort Smith vs Arkansas Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Arkansas overall. The state ranks #8/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Fort Smith	AR Statewide
Overall Score	46.4 Moderate	34.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#159 of 342 metros	#8 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 Finance and Insurance 51.6 Accommodation and Food Services 59.5 Retail Trade 60.2 Information 66.8

Construction in Other Arkansas Metros

Hot Springs 36.8 #77/342 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers 37.8 #84/342 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway 38.5 #91/342 Jonesboro 39.1 #98/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Fort Smith's 46.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 46.4 #160/342 Stockton-Lodi, CA 46.4 #161/342 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 46.4 #162/342 Canton-Massillon, OH 46.3 #158/342 Columbus, OH 46.2 #157/342 Rochester, MN 46.2 #156/342 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH 46.1 #155/342 State College, PA 46.0 #154/342 Cleveland, OH 47.0 #163/342 Mobile, AL 45.8 #153/342

Construction in States Bordering Arkansas

State-level entry risk for construction in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Tennessee 34.8 #10/51 Texas 46.3 #29/51 Mississippi 50.8 #36/51 Oklahoma 52.2 #39/51 Louisiana 53.6 #41/51 Missouri 54.6 #43/51

Browse Construction in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for construction 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 construction sector, the employment growth component (96.5) 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