LIFE IN FORT SMITH
Contemplate Fort Smith
What sets Fort Smith apart?
Solid business/economic base • Strong professional population • Safe, prosperous neighborhoods • Award-winning schools • Intriguing nightlife and daylife • Educated workforce • University of Arkansas-Fort Smith • Thriving retail and services businesses • Affordable cost-of-living index
And that’s just the start!
As a physician looking to relocate, your new work environment is important, but so is your new community. Fort Smith is a welcoming city, a great place to live, work and play. Ideal for singles, couples and families, Arkansas’ second-largest city is full of all the things you want to come home to.
Who’s in Fort Smith?
Total population: 83,500
Avg. household size: 2.46
Avg. family size: 3.28
Median household income: $32,271
Median family income: $41,960
Males: 38,270
Females: 42,784
Median age: 34.5 years
18 and older: 59,865
High school graduate or higher: 83.2%
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 20.2%
(Statistics: Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce)
Diverse business platform
A recent Forbes article ranked Fort Smith as the #6 American city for cost of doing business. The same article placed Fort Smith and the Greater Fort Smith Region at #6 in total income growth and #1 in cost of living, overall.
Transportation here and there
As a major transportation hub for the Midsouth, the Greater Fort Smith Region provides easy access into or out of the area. Interstate 40 – the nation’s primary east-west highway – and the I-540 extension mean convenient travel in all directions. The Fort Smith Regional Airport makes flying easy, with three airlines offering daily flights to Atlanta, Dallas and Memphis.
Parks for all ages
Eleven parks grace the Fort Smith area, including a dog park, the Janet Huckabee Nature Center and the Lee Creek Reservoir. Hiking, swimming, soccer, baseball, basketball, tennis, miniature golf, volleyball, walking trails, picnic sites, fishing, boating – you name it, Fort Smith has it.
The Arts
Work by regional and nationally recognized artists is on rotating display at the Fort Smith Art Center, housed in the historic Vaughn-Schaap house, a stunning example of Victorian Second Empire architecture. The Fort Smith Little Theatre, Arkansas’ oldest, continuously operating community theater, stages dramas, musicals and comedies. The storied and colorful past of Fort Smith comes to life at the Fort Smith Museum of History. With top performers from around the U.S., the Fort Smith Symphony delights music-lovers of all ages with classical, pop, youth and community concerts.
Festivals and celebrations in and around Fort Smith
St. Patrick’s Day – food, parade, Leprechaun Hunt, Pub Crawl.
Annual Spinach Festival – celebrates the nearby city of Alma’s notoriety as the “Spinach Capital of the World.”
Memorial Day Celebration – Historical and educational tours and a major rodeo event with more than $700,000 in prize money.
Mount Magazine International Butterfly Festival – educational seminars, walks, hikes, live entertainment.
July 4th Freedom Fest – a day-long celebration with a 5K run, carnival rides and, of course, spectacular fireworks.
Altus Grape Festival – grape-stomping competition, free wine- and juice-tastings, wine-making competition.
Riverfront Blues Festival – known as the “best little blues festival in America.”
Arkansas-Oklahoma State Fair – hot country music, food, rides and more.
Wiederkeher Village Weinfest – for more than 40 years, tours of historic wine cellars, wine-tastings, vineyard tours, arts and crafts exhibits.
Christmas on the Frontier Festival – lighting ceremonies, Christmas in the Park, drive-through display in Alma, parade in Paris.
Primary Education
For children in elementary grades through high school, Fort Smith offers excellent programs within both secular and religious environments.
Higher Education
The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith brings students a variety of educational opportunities including associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and technical certificates and certificates of proficiency.
Webster University in downtown Fort Smith offers MBA, MA in Human Resources Management and MA in Information Technology programs. Filling out the higher-education landscape are John Brown University, a Christian college in Siloam Springs, Ark., and Carl Albert State College in nearby Poteau, Okla.
Discover why St. Edward Mercy Health System might be the perfect place to launch or expand your practice. If you have any questions, or if we can help in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
St. Edward Mercy Health System
Contact Matt Keep, vice president / clinic chief operating officer
(479) 314-4700
Matt.keep@mercy.net |
