Bull Shoals at a glance
- Population: 1,934, the 136th-largest community in Arkansas out of 500 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 1,953 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: down about 1.0% from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Arkansas places: 136th out of 500 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it exceeds roughly 73% of Arkansas's Census places by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 36.3736 latitude, -92.5915 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Gassville, AR (8 mi); Mountain Home, AR (12 mi); Harrison, AR (31 mi); Calico Rock, AR (31 mi); Forsyth, MO (36 mi), each a US Census place with its estimated population.
- Nearest smaller towns: Lakeview, AR (3 mi); Flippin, AR (7 mi); Cotter, AR (7 mi) — US Census Bureau populations.
What a personal loan costs in Bull Shoals
Personal loans are closed-end installment debt, so the monthly payment and the payoff date are known from the start.
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.
Choosing a longer term eases the monthly budget but adds interest over the life of the loan; a shorter term costs more per month and less overall.
Set the loan amount from the expense itself rather than the maximum you are approved for, and keep the payment within your existing budget.
Arkansas lending rules that apply in Bull Shoals
Each row below is a Arkansas rule with its publisher and the date it was retrieved.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | See the latest published figure value_text left null: the State Bank Department does not publish a consumer small-loan license rate schedule that could be verified; storefront payday lending has been eliminated (see Payday lending status). See the linked regulator page for the licensee categories it supervises. | Arkansas State Bank Department as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Arkansas State Bank Department Source says: "The Department is charged with regulating state-chartered commercial banks with main offices in Arkansas". | Arkansas State Bank Department as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 17% per annum for loans not made by or to governmental units or by federally insured depository institutions (Amendment 89, effective January 1, 2011) Source says: "shall not exceed seventeen percent (17%) per annum". | Arkansas Legislature — Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 89, § 3 (proposed by H.J.R. 1004 of 2009) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Not permitted — all storefront payday lending eliminated; the Attorney General has worked to eliminate all forms of payday lending since 2008 Source says: "the Attorney General's office has worked to eliminate all forms of payday lending in Arkansas"; "all storefront payday loan operations in Arkansas have been shut down". | Arkansas Attorney General — Consumer Protection Division as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Bull Shoals
Before you commit to a personal loan in Bull Shoals, work through these steps:
- 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 Arkansas using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.