Fort Smith, AR vs Little Rock, AR: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Fort Smith and Little Rock, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
Fort Smith is the safer city
Fort Smith scores 35/100 (grade E) versus 4/100 (grade F) for Little Rock — a 31-point gap. Little Rock's violent-crime rate is 1.9× Fort Smith. Across the 8 offense categories, Fort Smith has the lower rate in 8.
Fort Smith, AR
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 90,848
- Violent / 100k
- 787
- Property / 100k
- 3,367
- In Arkansas
- #7 of 9
Little Rock, AR
Crime Index
- Population
- 205,320
- Violent / 100k
- 1,485
- Property / 100k
- 3,979
- In Arkansas
- #9 of 9
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Fort Smith | Little Rock | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 35E | 4F | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 787 | 1,485 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 3,367 | 3,979 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 7.7 | 21.9 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 4,154 | 5,464 | 1,802 |
Grade shown per index band (88–100 = A … 0–29 = F). Rates are reported offenses per 100,000 residents.
By offense
Rate per 100,000 residents — the lower (safer) city is highlighted.
| Offense | Fort Smith | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 7.7 | 21.9 |
| Rape | 102 | 107 |
| Robbery | 63.8 | 169 |
| Aggravated assault | 613 | 1,187 |
| Burglary | 481 | 677 |
| Larceny-theft | 2,665 | 2,965 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 214 | 314 |
| Arson | 7.7 | 23.4 |
Crime trends
Fort Smith
Little Rock
Frequently asked questions
Is Fort Smith or Little Rock safer?
Which has more violent crime, Fort Smith or Little Rock?
What are the odds of violent crime in Fort Smith vs Little Rock?
No area has zero risk
A high Crime Index score means lower reported crime relative to other US cities — it is not a guarantee of safety. Reported crime is not the same as actual crime. Research on the gap between crime that occurs and crime that gets reported to police — often called the "dark figure" of crime — estimates that roughly 40% of violent crime and about a third of property crime go unreported each year. Every index built on official statistics, including this one, necessarily undercounts real crime. That gap is exactly why homicide — the offense with the smallest dark figure — anchors the calculation instead of a more commonly reported but less reliable category like theft.
Scores on this page reflect FBI-reported data for 2025. See the full methodology →
Protecting yourself in Fort Smith & Little Rock
Worried about the numbers above? Compare local providers, estimate costs, and explore the right kind of coverage.