Fort Smith → Johnson City
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Fort Smith to Johnson City is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 85.9 to 87.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $195/mo.
- +$3,312
- BLS median salary higher in Johnson City
- 580 to 602
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 13.6:1 to 15.3:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.
Pros of Moving
- + $3K higher median salary
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - $195/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 85.9 to 87.9 (ratio 1.02), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $195/mo ($2,340/yr) from $937 in Fort Smith to $1,132 in Johnson City.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Johnson City sits #249 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Fort Smith is #50/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,312 higher ($53,744 → $57,056). Labor-market size: 89,060 tracked jobs at origin vs 74,580 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Arkansas scores 74 (B, #6/51) vs Tennessee at 66 (C, #17/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 75
- Property tax
- 78
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 68
- Income tax
- 100
- Property tax
- 80
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 36
Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Fort Smith to see what you'd need to earn in Johnson City to maintain the same purchasing power.
Johnson City metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026