NAICS 53

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Fort Smith, AR

Metro Market Score 39.1 (Moderate), ranked #133 of 330 metros. 289 establishments, 1,171 jobs.

Metro Market Score 39.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national real estate and rental and leasing average.

Fort Smith's real estate and rental and leasing market sits near the national metro median, ranking #133 of 330 with a market score of 39.1. No single metric stands out as an outlier, which means entry conditions depend more on your specific business model than on broad market forces.

Industry Concentration

48.8

LQ: 0.78

Rank #161 of 330 metros

Wage Competitiveness

43.9

$53,498 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 59.7

Employment growth index

Rank #134 of 330 metros

Wage Pressure

19.4

YoY wage change index

289 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Firms in Fort Smith

289

Establishments

-1.7% YoY

1,171

Total Employment

+1.5% YoY

$53,498

Average Annual Wage

+5.3% YoY

0.78

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Arkansas

#1 of 4

real estate and rental and leasing metros in state

Arkansas state rank

#12 of 51

for real estate and rental and leasing entry risk

vs State Median

-3.0

better than median (42.1)

Fort Smith vs Arkansas Statewide

How this metro's real estate and rental and leasing market compares to Arkansas overall. The state ranks #12/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Fort Smith	AR Statewide
Overall Score	39.1 Moderate	30.5 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#133 of 330 metros	#12 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

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 66.8

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other Arkansas Metros

Hot Springs 40.3 #142/330 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers 42.1 #162/330 Jonesboro 50.5 #219/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Fort Smith's 39.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Michigan City-La Porte, IN 39.1 #132/330 Coeur d'Alene, ID 39.0 #131/330 Niles, MI 38.9 #130/330 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 38.8 #129/330 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA 38.7 #128/330 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN 38.7 #127/330 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 38.7 #126/330 Ocala, FL 39.6 #134/330 Cheyenne, WY 38.6 #125/330 Mansfield, OH 38.5 #124/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in States Bordering Arkansas

State-level entry risk for real estate and rental and leasing in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Mississippi 30.0 #8/51 Tennessee 37.2 #18/51 Missouri 39.2 #25/51 Texas 41.4 #28/51 Oklahoma 42.0 #30/51 Louisiana 44.5 #34/51

Browse Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for real estate and rental and leasing 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 real estate and rental and leasing sector, the industry concentration component (48.8) 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