El Dorado at a glance
- Population: 16,869 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 27th-largest of 500 places in Arkansas.
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 Census recorded 17,757 residents here (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: population fell about 5.0% (US Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimate vs 2020 Census).
- Rank among Arkansas places: the 27th-largest of 500 (US Census Bureau, 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: roughly 95% of places in Arkansas rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: mapped at 33.2190, -92.6641 by the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Ruston, LA (47 mi); Monroe, LA (59 mi); Bossier City, LA (75 mi); Texarkana, AR (78 mi); Pine Bluff, AR (78 mi); US Census Bureau population estimates.
- Smaller places nearby: Norphlet, AR (7 mi); Calion, AR (10 mi); Smackover, AR (11 mi), per US Census Bureau estimates.
What a personal loan costs in El Dorado
With an installment loan the payment is fixed for the life of the loan, so the schedule is predictable from the first month to the last.
The advertised interest rate leaves out fees that the APR captures, which is why APR is the number to weigh; try the personal loan calculator before you apply.
A longer repayment period spreads the cost and increases the interest paid, so compare total cost, not just the monthly figure.
Shop with more than one lender and treat pre-qualification as an estimate, since the final terms follow a full application.
Arkansas lending rules that apply in El Dorado
Each row below is a Arkansas rule with its publisher and the date it was retrieved.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in El Dorado
A few practical steps will make the process in El Dorado less costly:
- 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.