Clarinda at a glance
- Population: 5,305 residents, the 80th-largest of 940 places in Iowa (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 5,369 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: population fell about 1.2% (US Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimate vs 2020 Census).
- Rank among Iowa places: 80th of the state's 940 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it is larger than about 91% of the places in Iowa (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: the Census Gazetteer places it at 40.7377, -95.0337.
- Nearest larger cities: Red Oak, IA (22 mi); Maryville, MO (29 mi); Creston, IA (41 mi); Nebraska City, NE (44 mi); Atlantic, IA (45 mi); each population is a US Census Bureau estimate.
- Nearest smaller places: Shambaugh, IA (6 mi); Yorktown, IA (6 mi); New Market, IA (7 mi) (US Census Bureau estimates).
What a personal loan costs in Clarinda
A personal loan is structured as an installment plan, with a set number of monthly payments and a fixed amount due each time.
APR, not the simple interest rate, reflects what the loan actually costs once fees are included; the personal loan calculator puts a figure on it.
Your credit, income and existing debts drive the rate a lender offers, while the term you pick sets how much interest builds on top.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Iowa lending rules that apply in Clarinda
Where a figure is not published by the state, the row points to the source instead of guessing.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Regulated Loan Act license required (superintendent of banking) Source says: "shall not engage in the business of making loans ... without first obtaining a license from the superintendent of banking". | Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Iowa Division of Banking (IDOB), Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial Services Source says: "As part of the 2023 state government realignment, the IDOB became part of a new Department of Insurance and Financial Services". | Iowa Division of Banking as of 2026-09-16 |
| Delayed deposit fee cap | Fee cap: $15 on first $100 of check face amount; $10 on subsequent $100 increments Source says: "fifteen dollars on the first one hundred dollars ... or more than ten dollars on subsequent one hundred dollar increments". | Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 2 percentage points above the monthly average 10-year U.S. Treasury constant maturity rate (written agreements) Source says: "The maximum lawful rate of interest ... in any written agreement ... shall be two percentage points above the monthly average ten-year constant maturity interest rate". | Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted under license (delayed deposit services; must be physically located in Iowa) Source says: "A person shall not operate a delayed deposit services business in this state unless the person is physically located in this state and licensed by the superintendent". | Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Clarinda
The order below is a sensible way to approach a loan in Clarinda:
- 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 Iowa using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.