Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Jonesboro, AR vs Fort Smith, AR

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Fort Smith spends 35.4% more per capita than Jonesboro ($4,959/person difference). Fort Smith, AR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Jonesboro, AR
Pop. 78,379
D
39/100
Budget Balance17
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Fort Smith, AR
Pop. 89,315
B
69/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency89
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Jonesboro
Fort Smith
Total Spending
$709.8M
$1.3B
Spending / Capita
$9,056
$14,015
Total Revenue
$245.3M
$2.3B
Revenue / Capita
$3,130
$25,787
Total Debt
$228.8M
$89.3M
Debt / Capita
$2,919
$1,000
Population
78,379
89,315
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Jonesboro$80
Fort Smith$295
Highways & Roads
Jonesboro$121
Fort Smith$0
Parks & Recreation
Jonesboro$523
Fort Smith$549
Education
Jonesboro$42
Fort Smith$0
Health
Jonesboro$0
Fort Smith$375

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

JonesboroFort Smith
Property Tax
$25
$0
Sales Tax
$97
$143
Income Tax
$12
$2,263
Intergovernmental
$4,523
$40
Charges & Fees
$1,640
$3,270
Other
$1,377
$3,396

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

JonesboroFort Smith
Fire Protection
$80
$295
Highways & Roads
$121
$0
Education
$42
$0
Public Welfare
$632
$788
Health
$0
$375
Hospitals
$108
$185
Parks & Recreation
$523
$549
Housing
$2,058
$2,224
Sewerage
$122
$0
Utilities
$1,520
$4,214
Interest on Debt
$191
$291
Other
$3,659
$5,094
D
Jonesboro, AR
Fiscal Health Score: 39/100
Below average fiscal health
B
Fort Smith, AR
Fiscal Health Score: 69/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities