Lower-FMR payment standards - Fort Smith, AR-OK MSA
HUD FY2026 2-BR Fair Market Rent for Fort Smith, AR-OK MSA is $937/month - 4th percentile of 396 published metro FMR areas (#16 cheapest→expensive) ; voucher vs ACS median: 13.8% above market ; FMR rows touch Crawford County, Sebastian County, Sequoyah County .
Low-FMR rung around Fort Smith, AR-OK MSA
Among the lower published 2-BR amounts nationally. Closest: Parkersburg-Vienna, WV MSA ($928), Gadsden, AL MSA ($927), Dothan, AL HUD Metro FMR Area ($950) .
Top-quartile contrast metros: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA, Flagstaff, AZ MSA, Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area, Fairbanks-College, AK MSA, Eugene-Springfield, OR MSA, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area - use only for national scale, not local negotiation.
AR-state FMR neighbors for Fort Smith, AR-OK MSA
Closest 2-BR amounts inside AR: Little River County, AR HUD Metro FMR Area ($880); Jonesboro, AR HUD Metro FMR Area ($1,040); Hot Springs, AR MSA ($1,090); Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area ($1,147); Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA ($1,347) . Alphabetical “nearby” lists are intentionally not used here - amount proximity is the comparison that matters for payment standards.
What are the HUD FY2026 bedroom FMRs for Fort Smith, AR-OK MSA?
| Size | HUD FMR |
|---|---|
| Studio | $683/mo |
| 1-BR | $714/mo |
| 2-BR | $937/mo |
| 3-BR | $1,266/mo |
| 4-BR | $1,532/mo |
Section 8 payment standard range for Fort Smith, AR-OK MSA
HUD lets each Public Housing Authority set its payment standard between 90% and 110% of the published Fair Market Rent for the bedroom size served. These dollar amounts are derived from HUD FY2026 FMR for Fort Smith, AR-OK MSA; your PHA may choose a figure inside this band. This is not a quote for a specific unit, availability, or waitlist status.
| Size | HUD FMR | 90% floor | 110% ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $683/mo | $615/mo | $751/mo |
| 1-BR | $714/mo | $643/mo | $785/mo |
| 2-BR | $937/mo | $843/mo | $1,031/mo |
| 3-BR | $1,266/mo | $1,139/mo | $1,393/mo |
| 4-BR | $1,532/mo | $1,379/mo | $1,685/mo |
For a 2-bedroom in Fort Smith, AR-OK MSA, the HUD reference rent is $937/month, so the lawful payment-standard band runs $843–$1,031/month before any tenant income share.
ACS median 2-BR rent $823/mo → 13.8% above market (generous). Detail: gap analysis for Fort Smith, AR-OK MSA.
AR agencies near this metro's scale key
Housing authorities in AR whose HCV caseload sits closest to a CBSA-stable scale target (not the statewide giants list - that list was identical across siblings):
- Jonesboro Urban Renewal HA
- Housing Authority of the City of Pine Bluff
- Hot Springs Housing Authority
- Housing Authority of the City of Texarkana
- Lonoke County Housing Authority
- The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Smi
- White River Regional Housing Authority
- Housing Authority of the City of Benton, AR
- Jacksonville Housing Authority
- Fayetteville Housing Authority
Full near-amount ladder
- Parkersburg-Vienna, WV MSA · $928
- Gadsden, AL MSA · $927
- Dothan, AL HUD Metro FMR Area · $950
- Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area · $956
- Bond County, IL HUD Metro FMR Area · $916
- Fayette County, WV HUD Metro FMR Area · $915
- Davidson County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area · $960
- Decatur, AL MSA · $961
- Anniston-Oxford, AL MSA · $962
- Massac County, IL HUD Metro FMR Area · $969
- Bosque County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area · $973
- Cochran County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area · $973
What to do with this FMR desk
Fort Smith, AR-OK HUD FY2026 2-BR FMR is $937/mo; use the schedule as a source desk, not a lease quote.
- Open the voucher-vs-market gap board for this CBSA (13.8% above market). Metro gap page
- Confirm how PHAs may set payment standards at 90-110% of FMR, and why the two figures are not interchangeable. FMR vs payment standard
FMR is HUD's published Fair Market Rent for this FMR area. It is not a PHA payment standard, unit quote, eligibility result, or waitlist status. Confirm any leasing figure with the PHA that serves the unit.
Source: HUD USER Fair Market Rent (FY2026) ; Census ACS median gross rent. Confirm the live PHA figure before leasing. Methodology.
Verify with HUD → · Verify with U.S. Census Bureau → · Set a September HUD update reminder