The typical owner-occupied home in Fort Smith is worth about $119,600, 68% below the Montana median of $375,800 and 64% below the national median of $332,700. The median household earns $51,190 a year, so the median home costs 2.3 times the median income (5.2 times for Montana). 91% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 36% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Fort Smith at a glance
| Fort Smith | Montana | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $119,600 | $375,800 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | – | $2,693 | $3,119 |
| Median household income | $51,190 | $72,509 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 91% | 69% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 36% | 55% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | – | $1,798 | $1,963 |
| Median rent | – | $1,081 | $1,413 |
| Median year homes were built | 1972 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 61.9% | 13.2% | 10.1% |
| Population | 78 | 1,116,875 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Fort Smith
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Fort Smith home of $119,600 with 20% down costs about $803 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,002, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.
Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $34,419 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 19% of the median Fort Smith household income of $51,190; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $178,000.
| Down payment | $23,920 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $95,680 |
| Principal and interest | $644 |
| Property taxes (1.10% a year) | $110 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $50 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $803 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $4,186 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $117,434 |
| Principal and interest | $790 |
| Property taxes (1.10% a year) | $110 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $50 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $53 |
| Total per month | $1,002 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Fort Smith
What is the median home value in Fort Smith?
About $119,600 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
What income do you need to buy a home in Fort Smith?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $803 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $34,419 a year.
More about Fort Smith
- Mortgage Refinance in Fort Smith
- Debt Relief in Fort Smith
- Home Equity Loans in Fort Smith
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data