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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Springdale, AR vs Fort Smith, AR

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

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

City A
Springdale, AR
Pop. 86,705
B
70/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
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
Springdale
Fort Smith
Total Spending
$869.2M
$1.3B
Spending / Capita
$10,025
$14,015
Total Revenue
$2.1B
$2.3B
Revenue / Capita
$23,895
$25,787
Total Debt
$72.8M
$89.3M
Debt / Capita
$839
$1,000
Population
86,705
89,315
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Springdale$268
Fort Smith$295
Parks & Recreation
Springdale$836
Fort Smith$549
Education
Springdale$8
Fort Smith$0
Health
Springdale$312
Fort Smith$375

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

SpringdaleFort Smith
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)

SpringdaleFort Smith
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
B
Springdale, AR
Fiscal Health Score: 70/100
Good fiscal health
B
Fort Smith, AR
Fiscal Health Score: 69/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.