Uprootmap
Joplin vs Fort Smith
Joplin and Fort Smith
Photo: Xltel / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Assumed income $83,730, same in both cities. Example, until you change it.
Other cities
So you know: homicide deaths in Fort Smith are under the US rate in this release, 5.7 versus 6.5 per 100,000. CDC via County Health Rankings, CDC NVSS 2017–2023 (CHR 2025 release).
Why people look at Joplin to Fort Smith
IRS migration on this site does not list a filed flow from Joplin to Fort Smith above the cutoff in 2022-2023.
A one-bedroom asking rent is about $906 in Joplin and $776 in Fort Smith. Joplin has a state tax on wages. Fort Smith has a state tax on wages. Local pay in Fort Smith is 84% of the national level for the same work, against 82% in Joplin.
Fort Smith averages 223 sunny days, with July highs around 91°F and January nights around 30°F. Joplin is 223 sunny days, 90°F in July, 27°F in January. Commutes average 22 minutes in Fort Smith and 20 in Joplin.
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.
Who already made this move
The IRS did not publish a large enough Joplin → Fort Smith 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 Joplin and Fort Smith changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this.
What the move itself costs
About 138 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $1,650–$3,150
- Container or pod
- $1,150–$2,100
- Rent a truck
- $400–$800
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Dig into Fort Smith
Questions
Is Fort Smith cheaper than Joplin after tax and rent?
Yes. Fort Smith leaves about $77 more a month, so the cost of living is lower there for this household. A one-bedroom is about $906 in Joplin and $776 in Fort Smith.
Does Fort Smith have state income tax?
Fort Smith is in Arkansas, which taxes wage income.
Did people actually move from Joplin to Fort Smith?
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.