Butler at a glance
- Population: 4,257 — 159th in Missouri, which has 937 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 4,221 people counted in the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a gain of roughly 0.9% between the 2020 count and the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Missouri places: 159th by size among 937 communities (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 83% of places in Missouri are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: it sits at 38.2594, -94.3395 in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities (within 120 miles): Harrisonville, MO (27 mi); Nevada, MO (29 mi); Louisburg, KS (31 mi); Clinton, MO (32 mi); Peculiar, MO (33 mi) (US Census Bureau populations).
- Nearest smaller towns: Passaic, MO (4 mi); Adrian, MO (9 mi); Foster, MO (11 mi) — US Census Bureau populations.
What a personal loan costs in Butler
Most personal loans are unsecured, meaning no collateral is pledged, and they are repaid in equal installments over a fixed term.
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 term is the lever: extend it and the payment falls while total interest climbs; shorten it and the reverse happens.
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 Butler
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Butler
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Butler:
- 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.