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Little Rock vs Fort Smith for Rental Property Investing

Side-by-side comparison of Little Rock, AR and Fort Smith, AR — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.

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Fort Smith wins 4–3 across key metrics
Fort Smith leads on cash flow (5.24% vs 4.92% cap rate) · Little Rock leads on population growth
Metric
Little Rock, AR
Fort Smith, AR
Est. Cap Rate
4.92%
5.24%
Median Home Price
$195,000
$155,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,100
$920
1% Rule
0.56%
0.59%
GRM
14.8x
14.0x
Price / Income
4.0x
3.8x
Property Tax Rate
0.62%
0.6%
Vacancy Rate
6.4%
6.8%
Population Growth
0.5% / yr
0.3% / yr
Annual Appreciation
2.4%
2%
Population
202,591
89,000
Median Income
$48,200
$40,800

Little Rock vs Fort Smith: Which Is Better for Investors?

Cash flow: Fort Smith has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 5.24% compared to Little Rock's 4.92%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $195,000 in Little Rock vs $155,000 in Fort Smith, while rents come in at $1,100/mo and $920/mo respectively.

Growth & appreciation: Little Rock is growing faster at 0.5% annually vs Fort Smith's 0.3%. Little Rock leads on home value appreciation at 2.4% per year.

Costs & risk: Property taxes are 0.62% in Little Rock vs 0.6% in Fort Smith. Vacancy rates of 6.4% and 6.8% are mixed — Little Rock has the tighter rental market.

Bottom line: Fort Smith edges out Little Rock on most key metrics. With a 5.24% cap rate, it offers solid cash flow potential. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Little Rock or Fort Smith.

Little Rock, AR
4.92% cap rate · $195,000 median · $1,100/mo
Full analysis →
Fort Smith, AR
5.24% cap rate · $155,000 median · $920/mo
Full analysis →
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