

Dallas vs Fort Smith
$631/mo less in Fort Smith
DallasFort SmithAbout 229 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Fort Smith costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 223 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,408/mo in Fort Smith. $3,039/mo in Dallas. −$7,572 a year.
Dallas
$3,039
left each month
Fort Smith
$2,408
−$631 vs Dallas
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 61 households moved Dallas → Fort Smith (avg AGI $53,885). 56 went the other way. The whole move →
−$631 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Dallas | Fort Smith | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,958 | $6,515 | −$1,443 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,661 | $1,469 | −$192 |
| Take-home pay | $6,298 | $5,046 | −$1,252 |
| Rent | $1,258 | $776 | −$482 |
| Getting around | $580 | $563 | −$17 |
| Groceries | $392 | $358 | −$34 |
| Healthcare | $441 | $403 | −$38 |
| Utilities | $245 | $224 | −$21 |
| Everything else | $343 | $314 | −$29 |
| Left over | $3,039 | $2,408 | −$631 |
Salary to match Dallas
$89,500
Gross pay in Fort Smith that leaves the same amount as $95,500 in Dallas.
Tax difference
−$2,836
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.9% in Dallas, 22.6% in Fort Smith.
More about Fort Smith
Dallas, TX in full
No income tax, endless new construction, and a 1.5% property tax bill.
Fort Smith, AR in full
State income tax topping out at 3.9%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $924 and 223 sunny days; commutes average 22 minutes.
The other way
Start in Fort Smith.
Fort Smith → Dallas →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Fort Smith than Dallas?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Fort Smith leaves about $631 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,258 in Dallas and $776 in Fort Smith.
Does Fort Smith have state income tax?
Fort Smith is in Arkansas, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Dallas to Fort Smith?
The paycheck is taxed in Arkansas. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Dallas and Fort Smith changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.