Columbia at a glance
- Population: 5,727 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 59th-largest of 299 places in Mississippi.
- 2020 Census base: 5,874 residents (US Census Bureau, 2020 Census).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a loss of about 2.5% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Mississippi places: 59th by size among 299 communities (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: larger than about 80% of the Census places in Mississippi (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: it sits at 31.2586, -89.8187 in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities within 120 miles: Hattiesburg, MS (30 mi); Bogalusa, LA (33 mi); Petal, MS (35 mi); McComb, MS (39 mi); Brookhaven, MS (43 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Nearest smaller communities: Bassfield, MS (17 mi); Sumrall, MS (20 mi); Angie, LA (21 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Columbia
A personal loan is structured as an installment plan, with a set number of monthly payments and a fixed amount due each time.
APR is the figure that lets you compare like with like, since it wraps fees into the rate; run your own numbers with the personal loan calculator.
Because interest accrues for longer, a longer term means a lower installment and a higher total cost — decide which matters more to you.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Mississippi lending rules that apply in Columbia
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Columbia: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Small loan license required (Small Loan Regulatory Law; Miss. Code § 75-67-105) Source says: "No person shall engage in the business of lending money ... without being the holder of a valid and subsisting license" | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance (DBCF) Source says: "The Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance's (DBCF) mission is to regulate, supervise and safeguard financial institutions chartered and licensed in Mississippi" | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Delayed-deposit (payday) fee caps | $20 per $100 advanced on checks ≤$250; $21.95 per $100 on checks over $250 (DBCF rule) Source says: "Delayed deposit transaction: $20.00 per $100.00 advanced for checks $250.00 and under" | Mississippi Secretary of State (DBCF administrative regulations) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | See the latest published figure value_text left null: the maximum finance charge for licensed small-loan lenders is set by Miss. Code § 75-17-21, which § 75-67-119 references as the limit; no retrievable official page published the current figure for direct verification. | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal and licensed — check cashers (delayed-deposit/payday transactions) are licensed consumer-finance industries regulated by DBCF (Miss. Code § 75-67-501 et seq.) Source says: "These industries include Money Transmitter, Small Loan, Check Cashers, Pawnbroker, Title Pledge, Consumer Loan Broker" | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Columbia
Before you commit to a personal loan in Columbia, 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 Mississippi using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.