3 census tracts · pop 9,157 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 3.6/10
· range 3–4.6
South Fort Smith spans 3 census tracts of Fort Smith, AR, population 9,157. The Eviction Risk Score is 3.6/10, in the Lower tier. Cost burden runs 44% against 25.6% citywide, putting South Fort Smith 18.7% over its own city.
The main counterweight is rent-regulation exposure, at 1/10. Severe burden reaches 25%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears.
Well under the midpoint is housing-court posture, at 1.5/10. Internally this is not one market. Tract scores span 3 to 4.6, so two buildings inside the same boundary can carry materially different risk. Running cool is eviction-process difficulty, at 2/10.
The poverty rate is 20%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment. At $762 a month, rents sit 14% under what the rest of Fort Smith commands.
Social vulnerability runs high at 8.4/10, concentrating the disaster- and displacement-exposure this model treats as a lagging risk input. Rent takes 18% of average household income, comfortably inside the 30% line and unusually low for a rental sub-market. 43% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
For a specific building, read the per-tract breakdown below rather than the 3.6 headline, because the internal range is too wide to average safely. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
3.6
Lower
3 tracts · population-weighted
South Fort Smith vs Fort SmithHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
% of income on rent
44.3%+73%
Fort Smith: 25.6%
Average gross rent
$762-14%
Fort Smith: $884
Average HH income
$50,495-4%
Fort Smith: $52,692
Poverty rate
19.5%+6%
Fort Smith: 18.3%
Renter share
42.5%-9%
Fort Smith: 46.6%
Geographic context
Risk heat across South Fort Smith and the region
Click any tract to drill in · 3 tracts span score 3–4.6
Why South Fort Smith scores 3.6
9 axes · pop-weighted · 1 = landlord-friendly
State political climate
legislature & governorship · Range 1.5–1.5 across tracts
1.5
Regional political climate
County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 3.2–3.2 across tracts
3.2
Local political climate
Parent city governance · Range 3.0–3.0 across tracts
3.0
Rent control risk
44% of income on rent · Range 1.0–1.0 across tracts
1.0
Eviction process difficulty
State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 2.0–2.0 across tracts
2.0
Tenant organizing strength
43% renter households · Range 2.0–2.0 across tracts
2.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition · Range 1.5–1.5 across tracts
1.5
Economic stress
19.5% below poverty line · Range 3.2–7.8 across tracts
4.9
Supply constraint
Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 2.6–3.7 across tracts
3.3
Risk score comparison
South Fort Smith vs. parent city, state, U.S.
Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).
Variance across tracts
How uniformly does eviction risk play out in South Fort Smith?
Left: distribution of constituent tract scores. Right: every tract as a heat square. Click any square to drill in.
Score distribution
0246810
Spread of 1.6 points from
3 to
4.6.
Moderate variation across constituent tracts.
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority47%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport89%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in South Fort Smith
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
14.5%Housing insecurity
10.9%Utility shutoff threat
18.8%Food insecurity
12.0%SNAP enrollment
12.0%No health insurance
38.4%Any disability
Frequently asked
About South Fort Smith
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for South Fort Smith?
South Fort Smith scores 3.6/10 (Lower tier) across 3 census tracts. The pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income and poverty signals.
Q2
How does South Fort Smith compare to Fort Smith overall?
South Fort Smith scores 0.4 points higher than Fort Smith overall (3.2/10). Renters spend 44% of income on rent vs 26% citywide. Average rent: $762 vs $884.
Q3
What is the average rent in South Fort Smith?
Average gross rent in South Fort Smith eviction risk is $762/month (pop-weighted across 3 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 44% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of South Fort Smith residents are renters?
43% of South Fort Smith households are renter-occupied (vs 47% in Fort Smith). The neighborhood has 9,157 residents.
Q5
Is South Fort Smith a high social-vulnerability area?
South Fort Smith sits in the 82nd percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (highly vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.
Q6
Which tracts in South Fort Smith have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in South Fort Smith is census tract 05131001202 (score 4.6/10). Across the 3 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3 to 4.6, a spread of 1.6 points.
Q7
How safe is South Fort Smith for landlords?
South Fort Smith eviction risk carries a lower-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (3.6/10). Pop-weighted across 3 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Fort Smith as a whole (3.2/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of South Fort Smith?
South Fort Smith has 8,490 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (65.7%), Black (non-Hispanic) (10.7%), Other / Multiracial (9%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
