Fort Smith, AR-OK holds $6.0 billion in deposits across 20 insured institutions and 93 branches, ranking #195 of 293 U.S. markets by economic output. The First National Bank of Fort Smith is the largest deposit holder at 22.7% share. The top three institutions hold 53.6% of deposits, which places the market in the moderate band. Deposits have grown 22% since 2020 while the branch count fell by 7.
Deposit trend
Branches: 100 in 2020 to 93 in 2025. Institutions: 18 to 20. Top-three share: 55.0% to 53.6%. Deposits per branch: $64M.
Leading institutions by deposits
| Institution | Deposits | Share | 5‑yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| The First National Bank of Fort Smith | 1.4B | 22.7% | +12% |
| Arvest Bank | 1.2B | 19.5% | +29% |
| Cadence Bank | 0.7B | 11.4% | +19% |
| Citizens' Bank & Trust Co. | 0.5B | 8.1% | +23% |
| Armstrong Bank | 0.5B | 7.9% | +22% |
| Bank OZK | 0.3B | 5.7% | +59% |
| Firstar Bank | 0.3B | 5.0% | +33% |
| Farmers Bank | 0.2B | 3.9% | +23% |
| Regions Bank | 0.2B | 3.0% | -13% |
| First Security Bank | 0.2B | 2.7% | +268% |
The 10 largest of 20 insured institutions with a branch presence, as of June 30, 2025. Five-year change compares the same institution's deposits in 2020 and 2025; an acquirer absorbs the balances of banks it bought.
Counties in this market
| County | State | GDP | Population | Share of GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastian County | Arkansas | $7,357M | 130,641 | 74.8% |
| Crawford County | Arkansas | $1,745M | 62,657 | 17.7% |
| Sequoyah County | Oklahoma | $736M | 40,842 | 7.5% |
Recruiting in Fort Smith
Deposits are neither closely held nor widely dispersed, which usually leaves room for a well-led team to take share without competing head-on with a dominant holder. Who holds the deposits, and how contested the market is, shapes both the runway for growth and the competition you would be recruiting against. We recruit commercial relationship managers, banking teams, and market leaders for banks building in markets like this one, on a retained basis.
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