Alma at a glance
- Population: about 3,472 residents, ranking 181st of 536 Census places in Georgia (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 3,436 people counted in the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: an increase of about 1.0% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Georgia places: 181st out of 536 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: roughly 66% of Georgia's places have fewer residents (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: the Census Gazetteer places it at 31.5433, -82.4756.
- Nearest larger cities: Baxley, GA (17 mi); Blackshear, GA (22 mi); Douglas, GA (22 mi); Hazlehurst, GA (23 mi); Waycross, GA (24 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Smaller towns nearby: Nicholls, GA (10 mi); Denton, GA (18 mi); Graham, GA (19 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Alma
Personal loans are installment credit — one lump sum, repaid in equal monthly installments across a fixed term you agree to up front.
The number to compare is the APR, not the interest rate, because the APR folds in origination fees and other charges; our personal loan calculator will show what a given amount and term would cost.
The offer you receive reflects the lender's read of your credit, income and debts, and the term controls the balance between payment size and total interest.
A useful rule is to keep the new payment inside the room your budget already has, so the loan eases pressure instead of adding to it.
Georgia lending rules that apply in Alma
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Alma: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | See the latest published figure value_text left null: Georgia's rate ceilings are set by O.C.G.A. Title 7, Chapter 4 (O.C.G.A. §§ 7-4-1 to 7-4-21); the Department of Banking and Finance does not publish the figure and the official code host could not be fetched, so no figure is asserted. | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Prohibited (payday lending illegal in Georgia) Source says: "Payday lending is illegal in Georgia." | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Installment lender license required for loans of $3,000 or less Source says: "any entity making loans of $3,000.00 or less to individuals must be licensed with the Department as an installment lender". | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (DBF) Source says: "The Non-depository division supervises mortgage lenders, mortgage brokers, and mortgage loan originators, as well as installment lenders, check cashers, and money transmitters". | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Installment Loan Act rate cap | 10% per annum of the face amount of the contract (licensed installment loans) Source says: "may charge interest at a rate not to exceed 10 percent per annum of the face amount of the contract". | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Alma
The steps below are worth completing first when you borrow in Alma:
- Pull your free credit reports and dispute any error — it is the cheapest way to improve the rate you are offered.
- Run your figures through the personal loan calculator on this site so you know the payment before a lender quotes one.
- Pre-qualify with at least three lenders and compare the APR, not the interest rate.
- Check that the lender is licensed in Georgia using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.