Example household · Fort Smith, AR · $83,730 · same pay · 1 adult

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Fort Smith vs Los Angeles

Fort Smith and Los Angeles

Photo: Ron Reiring / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.0

Assumed income $83,730, same in both cities. Example, until you change it.

Same pay in both cities. One adult, one bedroom.

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So you know: homicide deaths in Los Angeles are under the US rate in this release, 5.4 versus 6.5 per 100,000. CDC via County Health Rankings, CDC NVSS 2017–2023 (CHR 2025 release).

Why people look at Fort Smith to Los Angeles

IRS migration on this site does not list a filed flow from Fort Smith to Los Angeles above the cutoff in 2022-2023.

A one-bedroom asking rent is about $776 in Fort Smith and $2,273 in Los Angeles. Fort Smith has a state tax on wages. Los Angeles has a state tax on wages. Local pay in Los Angeles is 112% of the national level for the same work, against 84% in Fort Smith.

Los Angeles averages 284 sunny days, with July highs around 84°F and January nights around 48°F. Fort Smith is 223 sunny days, 91°F in July, 30°F in January. Commutes average 32 minutes in Los Angeles and 22 in Fort Smith.

These figures are projections built from available public data. Conditions change, and the numbers may not reflect current prices, taxes, or immigration rules. Check official sources before you make decisions.

How we figure this

Who already made this move

The IRS did not publish a large enough Fort Smith → Los Angeles pair for 2022-2023. That usually means fewer than a few dozen tax returns, not that nobody moved.

Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.

The monthly number is take-home pay minus rent and the other bills. The gap between Fort Smith and Los Angeles changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this.

What the move itself costs

About 1,616 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.

Full-service mover
$3,700–$6,950
Container or pod
$2,650–$4,950
Rent a truck
$1,550–$2,950

Movers in Los Angeles and how to hire one →

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Questions

Is Los Angeles cheaper than Fort Smith after tax and rent?

No. Los Angeles leaves about $2,099 less a month, so the cost of living is higher there for this household. A one-bedroom is about $776 in Fort Smith and $2,273 in Los Angeles.

Does Los Angeles have state income tax?

Los Angeles is in California, which taxes wage income.

Did people actually move from Fort Smith to Los Angeles?

Yes, when the IRS published that flow. The count and their average income are on this page. Leftover prices the same household in both cities.