Fairfield at a glance
- Population: a Census-estimated 2,972, placing it 495th among Texas's 1,224 places (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 2,852 people (US Census Bureau, 2020 Census count).
- 2020 to 2023 change: an increase of about 4.2% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Texas places: 495th-largest of 1,224 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: about 60% of Texas's Census places are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: mapped at 31.7174, -96.1705 by the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities (120-mile radius): Teague, TX (9 mi); Mexia, TX (19 mi); Groesbeck, TX (25 mi); Corsicana, TX (31 mi); Palestine, TX (31 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Smaller towns nearby: Kirvin, TX (10 mi); Streetman, TX (15 mi); Wortham, TX (18 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Fairfield
The defining feature of a personal loan is the fixed installment: the same payment every month until the term ends.
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.
The term is the lever: extend it and the payment falls while total interest climbs; shorten it and the reverse happens.
A useful rule is to keep the new payment inside the room your budget already has, so the loan eases pressure instead of adding to it.
Texas lending rules that apply in Fairfield
Each row below is a Texas rule with its publisher and the date it was retrieved.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | License required for non-depository lenders charging more than 10% interest; Chapter 342 governs consumer loans (Tex. Fin. Code § 342.051) Source says: Non-depository lenders who engage in making, transacting, or collecting loans with a rate of interest greater than 10% must be licensed by the OCCC. | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) Source says: The OCCC licenses and regulates non-depository lenders in the state of Texas. | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 10% per year maximum; a greater rate is usurious unless otherwise provided by law (Tex. Fin. Code § 302.001) Source says: The maximum rate or amount of interest is 10 percent a year except as otherwise provided by law. | Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal via licensed credit access businesses (payday/title-loan brokers); the third-party lender itself is not licensed (Tex. Fin. Code ch. 393) Source says: the credit access business that serves as the broker is the licensee in this regulated industry | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Fairfield
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Fairfield:
- 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 Texas using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.