Vineland Fort Smith

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Vineland to Fort Smith is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 96.0 to 85.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $736/mo.

-$11,417
BLS median salary lower in Fort Smith
216 to 580
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
11.8:1 to 13.6:1
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.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 96.0 → 85.9
Rent Delta: -$736/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 10% lower cost of living
  • + $736/mo cheaper rent (2BR)

Cons of Moving

  • - $11K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 96.0 to 85.9, so each dollar covers more in Fort Smith (ratio 0.89). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $736/mo ($8,832/yr) from $1,673 in Vineland to $937 in Fort Smith.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Fort Smith sits #50 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Vineland is #45/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $11,417 lower ($65,161 → $53,744). Labor-market size: 55,390 tracked jobs at origin vs 89,060 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Arkansas scores 74 (B, #6/51) vs New Jersey at 54 (D, #34/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Vineland
Fort Smith
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 96.0
RPP 85.9
Fort Smith
Rent (2BR)
$1,673/mo
$937/mo
Fort Smith
Wages
$65,161
$53,744
Vineland
Crime
216 per 100K
580 per 100K
Vineland
Schools
11.8:1
13.6:1
Vineland
Childcare
$15,732/yr
N/A
Tie
Environment
1206 violations
5952 violations
Vineland

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · New Jersey
54 D #34/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
51
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
88
Destination state · Arkansas
74 B #6/51
Income tax
75
Property tax
78
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
68

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 Vineland to see what you'd need to earn in Fort Smith to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Fort Smith
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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