Springdale, AR vs Fort Smith, AR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fort Smith, AR spends 40% more per resident than Springdale, AR: $14,015 against $10,025. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Springdale, AR edges Fort Smith, AR on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 70/100 (grade B) to 69/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Springdale, AR carries the lighter load at $839 per resident versus $1,000 for Fort Smith, AR. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Springdale, AR at $836 per resident and in Fort Smith, AR at $549.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Springdale, AR at 21% of total revenue, whereas Fort Smith, AR relies most on other revenue at 13%.
Summary
Fort Smith spends 28.5% more per capita than Springdale ($3,990/person difference). Springdale, AR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $153 | $143 |
| Income Tax | $445 | $2,263 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,970 | $40 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,545 | $3,270 |
| Other | $2,342 | $3,396 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $268 | $295 |
| Education | $8 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $747 | $788 |
| Health | $312 | $375 |
| Hospitals | $94 | $185 |
| Parks & Recreation | $836 | $549 |
| Housing | $2,318 | $2,224 |
| Sewerage | $140 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,928 | $4,214 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $291 |
| Other | $3,374 | $5,094 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.