NAICS 51

Information in Fort Smith, AR

Metro Market Score 66.8 (Difficult), ranked #263 of 294 metros. 62 establishments, 982 jobs.

Metro Market Score 66.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

Information employment in Fort Smith contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the bottom quartile at 6.5. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

61.9

LQ: 0.54

Rank #182 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

74.5

$96,753 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 6.5

Employment growth index

Rank #276 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

22.9

YoY wage change index

62 Information Firms in Fort Smith

Establishments

-22.5% YoY

982

Total Employment

-15.1% YoY

$96,753

Average Annual Wage

+6.2% YoY

0.54

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Arkansas

#3 of 3

information metros in state

Arkansas state rank

#2 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+31.1

worse than median (35.6)

Fort Smith vs Arkansas Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Arkansas overall. The state ranks #2/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Fort Smith	AR Statewide
Overall Score	66.8 Difficult	30.0 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#263 of 294 metros	#2 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 Accommodation and Food Services 59.5 Retail Trade 60.2

Information in Other Arkansas Metros

Hot Springs 22.1 #28/294 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers 35.6 #88/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Fort Smith's 66.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 66.9 #264/294 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC 66.2 #262/294 Corvallis, OR 66.2 #261/294 Kahului-Wailuku, HI 67.4 #265/294 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 67.4 #266/294 Colorado Springs, CO 67.6 #267/294 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT 67.8 #268/294 Worcester, MA 65.6 #260/294 Boulder, CO 68.1 #269/294 Cheyenne, WY 68.2 #270/294

Information in States Bordering Arkansas

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

Missouri 36.8 #10/51 Oklahoma 40.2 #18/51 Texas 41.5 #20/51 Mississippi 43.1 #23/51 Tennessee 48.1 #37/51 Louisiana 51.7 #44/51

Browse Information in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for information 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 information sector, the employment growth component (93.5) 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