Brownwood at a glance
- Population: 18,790 residents, the 161st-largest of 1,224 places in Texas (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 18,882 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: down roughly 0.5% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Texas places: 161st-largest of 1,224 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: roughly 87% of places in Texas rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 31.7129 latitude, -98.9771 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Stephenville, TX (56 mi); Abilene, TX (68 mi); Copperas Cove, TX (75 mi); Killeen, TX (86 mi); Harker Heights, TX (91 mi), each a US Census place with its estimated population.
- Smaller places nearby: Early, TX (3 mi); Bangs, TX (9 mi); Blanket, TX (13 mi), per US Census Bureau estimates.
What a personal loan costs in Brownwood
Unlike a revolving credit card, a personal loan is closed-end: the balance falls on a fixed schedule and the payment does not change.
Compare every quote on APR because it includes the fees the interest rate hides, and check the payment 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.
Work out the payment you can comfortably carry each month first, then borrow no more than that figure supports.
Texas lending rules that apply in Brownwood
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Brownwood: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 10% per year maximum; a greater rate is usurious unless otherwise provided by law (Tex. Fin. Code § 302.001) Source says: The maximum rate or amount of interest is 10 percent a year except as otherwise provided by law. | Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal via licensed credit access businesses (payday/title-loan brokers); the third-party lender itself is not licensed (Tex. Fin. Code ch. 393) Source says: the credit access business that serves as the broker is the licensee in this regulated industry | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | License required for non-depository lenders charging more than 10% interest; Chapter 342 governs consumer loans (Tex. Fin. Code § 342.051) Source says: Non-depository lenders who engage in making, transacting, or collecting loans with a rate of interest greater than 10% must be licensed by the OCCC. | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) Source says: The OCCC licenses and regulates non-depository lenders in the state of Texas. | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Brownwood
A few practical steps will make the process in Brownwood less costly:
- 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 Texas using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.