Arkansas-Oklahoma border market where Ozark growth strains old political maps
The Fort Smith–Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers media market straddles two states along the Arkansas-Oklahoma border, blending a fast-growing Northwest Arkansas corridor—anchored by Walmart's corporate headquarters—with more rural, traditionally conservative constituencies to the south and west.
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton | 304K | R+27.0 | 45,231 | 79,907 | 128,595 | 8.8% |
| Washington | 257K | R+6.7 | 43,779 | 50,243 | 97,158 | 6.7% |
| Benton | 245K | R+27.0 | 45,231 | 79,907 | 128,595 | 8.8% |
| Washington | 220K | R+6.7 | 43,779 | 50,243 | 97,158 | 6.7% |
| Benton | 210K | R+27.0 | 45,231 | 79,907 | 128,595 | 8.8% |
| Washington | 193K | R+6.7 | 43,779 | 50,243 | 97,158 | 6.7% |
| Washington | 158K | R+6.7 | 43,779 | 50,243 | 97,158 | 6.7% |
| Benton | 153K | R+27.0 | 45,231 | 79,907 | 128,595 | 8.8% |
| Sebastian | 129K | R+37.5 | 13,652 | 30,719 | 45,452 | 3.1% |
| Sebastian | 127K | R+37.5 | 13,652 | 30,719 | 45,452 | 3.1% |
| Sebastian | 121K | R+37.5 | 13,652 | 30,719 | 45,452 | 3.1% |
| Sebastian | 115K | R+37.5 | 13,652 | 30,719 | 45,452 | 3.1% |
| Crawford | 62K | R+58.2 | 4,753 | 18,615 | 23,834 | 1.6% |
| Crawford | 61K | R+58.2 | 4,753 | 18,615 | 23,834 | 1.6% |
| Crawford | 59K | R+58.2 | 4,753 | 18,615 | 23,834 | 1.6% |
| Crawford | 53K | R+58.2 | 4,753 | 18,615 | 23,834 | 1.6% |
| Le Flore | 50K | R+64.8 | 3,184 | 15,333 | 18,754 | 1.3% |
| Le Flore | 49K | R+64.8 | 3,184 | 15,333 | 18,754 | 1.3% |
| Le Flore | 49K | R+64.8 | 3,184 | 15,333 | 18,754 | 1.3% |
| Le Flore | 48K | R+64.8 | 3,184 | 15,333 | 18,754 | 1.3% |
| Sequoyah | 41K | R+61.5 | 2,907 | 12,491 | 15,583 | 1.1% |
| Sequoyah | 41K | R+61.5 | 2,907 | 12,491 | 15,583 | 1.1% |
| Sequoyah | 40K | R+61.5 | 2,907 | 12,491 | 15,583 | 1.1% |
| Sequoyah | 39K | R+61.5 | 2,907 | 12,491 | 15,583 | 1.1% |
| Johnson | 26K | R+51.4 | 2,107 | 6,766 | 9,059 | 0.6% |
| Johnson | 26K | R+51.4 | 2,107 | 6,766 | 9,059 | 0.6% |
| Johnson | 25K | R+51.4 | 2,107 | 6,766 | 9,059 | 0.6% |
| Johnson | 23K | R+51.4 | 2,107 | 6,766 | 9,059 | 0.6% |
| Logan | 23K | R+62.2 | 1,464 | 6,567 | 8,205 | 0.6% |
| Logan | 22K | R+62.2 | 1,464 | 6,567 | 8,205 | 0.6% |
| Logan | 22K | R+62.2 | 1,464 | 6,567 | 8,205 | 0.6% |
| Logan | 21K | R+62.2 | 1,464 | 6,567 | 8,205 | 0.6% |
| Franklin | 18K | R+62.4 | 1,232 | 5,582 | 6,971 | 0.5% |
| Franklin | 18K | R+62.4 | 1,232 | 5,582 | 6,971 | 0.5% |
| Franklin | 18K | R+62.4 | 1,232 | 5,582 | 6,971 | 0.5% |
| Madison | 17K | R+58.6 | 1,491 | 5,885 | 7,501 | 0.5% |
| Franklin | 17K | R+62.4 | 1,232 | 5,582 | 6,971 | 0.5% |
| Madison | 16K | R+58.6 | 1,491 | 5,885 | 7,501 | 0.5% |
| Madison | 15K | R+58.6 | 1,491 | 5,885 | 7,501 | 0.5% |
| Madison | 14K | R+58.6 | 1,491 | 5,885 | 7,501 | 0.5% |
| Scott | 11K | R+73.5 | 425 | 2,913 | 3,384 | 0.2% |
| Scott | 11K | R+73.5 | 425 | 2,913 | 3,384 | 0.2% |
| Scott | 11K | R+73.5 | 425 | 2,913 | 3,384 | 0.2% |
| Scott | 10K | R+73.5 | 425 | 2,913 | 3,384 | 0.2% |
| Group | Local | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 74.7% | 57.4% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(18) | 11.7% | 19.3% |
Multiracial / Other | 5.8% | 4.0% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(6) | 2.6% | 0.9% |
▶Black / African American(11) | 2.5% | 12.2% |
▶Asian(6) | 2.4% | 6.0% |
▶Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander(5) | 0.3% | 0.2% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(9) | 0.2% | 0.9% |
Catholic-Evangelical edge: -51.6pp (vs national 4.5pp). A strongly Evangelical-leaning religious profile, which nationally correlates with Republican-leaning rural and exurban communities.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33.9% | 64.4% | — | — | |
| 9.1% | 17.2% | — | — | |
| 4.7% | 9.0% | — | — | |
| 3.6% | 6.9% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 1.9% | 3.7% | — | — |
| 1.3% | 2.4% | — | — | |
Non-religiousPopulation | 47.4% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Fort Smith-Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers media market? 3,189,272 residents across 44 counties.
23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 10pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+9 on average nationally.
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate vs Governor | R+56.5 | R+25.7 | 30.9pp |