Decatur at a glance
- Population: 1,727, the 148th-largest community in Arkansas out of 500 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 1,788 people (US Census Bureau, 2020 Census count).
- 2020 to 2023 change: about 3.4% lower than the 2020 Census base (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Arkansas places: 148th by size among 500 communities (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it exceeds roughly 70% of Arkansas's Census places by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 36.3485, longitude -94.4580 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities (120-mile radius): Gentry, AR (6 mi); Gravette, AR (7 mi); Centerton, AR (9 mi); Highfill, AR (9 mi); Siloam Springs, AR (12 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Smaller places nearby: Springtown, AR (6 mi); Sulphur Springs, AR (9 mi); Colcord, OK (14 mi), per US Census Bureau estimates.
What a personal loan costs in Decatur
A personal loan is structured as an installment plan, with a set number of monthly payments and a fixed amount due each time.
The APR is the comparable price of a loan since it folds in fees; model any offer with the personal loan calculator first.
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.
A payment that strains the budget is a warning sign; a smaller loan or a little more saving time is the safer route.
Arkansas lending rules that apply in Decatur
Where a figure is not published by the state, the row points to the source instead of guessing.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Decatur
The order below is a sensible way to approach a loan in Decatur:
- 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.