NAICS 52

Finance and Insurance in Fort Smith, AR

Metro Market Score 51.6 (Challenging), ranked #184 of 331 metros. 344 establishments, 2,086 jobs.

Metro Market Score 51.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national finance and insurance average.

Finance and Insurance employment in Fort Smith contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the lower half at 2.4. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

37.2

LQ: 0.53

Rank #123 of 331 metros

Wage Competitiveness

9.4

$69,108 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 2.4

Employment growth index

Rank #324 of 331 metros

Wage Pressure

53.5

YoY wage change index

344 Finance and Insurance Firms in Fort Smith

344

Establishments

-20.2% YoY

2,086

Total Employment

-16.6% YoY

$69,108

Average Annual Wage

+9.1% YoY

0.53

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Arkansas

#3 of 5

finance and insurance metros in state

Arkansas state rank

#7 of 51

for finance and insurance entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (51.6)

Fort Smith vs Arkansas Statewide

How this metro's finance and insurance market compares to Arkansas overall. The state ranks #7/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Fort Smith	AR Statewide
Overall Score	51.6 Challenging	44.7 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#184 of 331 metros	#7 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 Accommodation and Food Services 59.5 Retail Trade 60.2 Information 66.8

Finance and Insurance in Other Arkansas Metros

Jonesboro 27.0 #27/331 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers 47.6 #157/331 Hot Springs 53.0 #197/331 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway 62.8 #262/331

Finance and Insurance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Fort Smith's 51.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Kennewick-Richland, WA 51.6 #185/331 Binghamton, NY 51.6 #186/331 Ogden, UT 51.6 #187/331 Ann Arbor, MI 52.0 #188/331 Canton-Massillon, OH 51.2 #183/331 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL 51.1 #182/331 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC 51.0 #181/331 Salinas, CA 52.3 #189/331 Lawton, OK 52.4 #190/331 Jackson, MS 52.4 #191/331

Finance and Insurance in States Bordering Arkansas

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

Louisiana 42.0 #6/51 Texas 50.4 #25/51 Tennessee 53.4 #33/51 Mississippi 54.5 #36/51 Missouri 57.7 #43/51 Oklahoma 64.9 #48/51

Browse Finance and Insurance in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for finance and insurance 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 finance and insurance sector, the employment growth component (97.6) 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