Bakersfield at a glance
- Population: roughly 194 people; 672nd of 937 places in Missouri (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 183 residents (US Census Bureau, 2020 Census).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a gain of roughly 6.0% between the 2020 count and the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Missouri places: 672nd of 937 by population (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- Size percentile: roughly 28% of places in Missouri rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 36.5267 / -92.1480, per the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Viola, AR (13 mi); Gainesville, MO (16 mi); Mountain Home, AR (19 mi); Briarcliff, AR (19 mi); Salem, AR (21 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Nearest smaller places: Pineville, AR (25 mi); Brandsville, MO (26 mi); Big Flat, AR (39 mi) (US Census Bureau estimates).
What a personal loan costs in Bakersfield
With an installment loan the payment is fixed for the life of the loan, so the schedule is predictable from the first month to the last.
Compare offers on APR rather than the headline rate — the APR includes most fees, and you can model the total with our personal loan calculator.
A lender weighs your credit profile, income and debts when setting the rate, and a longer term lowers the payment at the cost of more interest overall.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Missouri lending rules that apply in Bakersfield
Every figure in the table below is sourced to a publisher with a date; where a state does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 10% per annum, or the higher published 'market rate' (RSMo § 408.030) Source says: "a rate of interest not exceeding ten percent per annum on money due or to become due upon any contract" | Missouri Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal and licensed — unsecured loans of $500 or less require a license from the Director of the Division of Finance (RSMo § 408.500) Source says: "in the business of making unsecured loans of five hundred dollars or less shall obtain a license from the director of the division of finance" | Missouri Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer credit lenders licensed and regulated by the Division of Finance's consumer credit section (Chapters 367 and 408, RSMo) Source says: "The consumer credit section of the Missouri Division of Finance is responsible for licensing and regulating various types of consumer finance companies" | Missouri Division of Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Missouri Division of Finance (Department of Commerce and Insurance) Source says: "We regulate state-chartered banks, trust companies, consumer credit facilities, mortgage brokers, and savings and loan institutions" | Missouri Division of Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Additional loan fee cap (30+ day loans) | Up to 10% of principal, capped at $100 (RSMo § 408.140) Source says: "a fee, not to exceed ten percent of the principal amount loaned not to exceed one hundred dollars may be charged by the lender" | Missouri Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Bakersfield
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Bakersfield:
- 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 Missouri using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.