Helena-West Helena at a glance
- Population: a Census-estimated 8,670, placing it 44th among Arkansas's 500 places (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 9,588 people counted in the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a loss of about 9.6% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Arkansas places: 44th-largest of 500 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: roughly 91% of places in Arkansas rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 34.5314, -90.6201 (Census Gazetteer, US Census Bureau).
- Nearest larger cities: Clarksdale, MS (24 mi); Forrest City, AR (35 mi); Hernando, MS (42 mi); Horn Lake, MS (44 mi); Southaven, MS (47 mi), each a US Census place with its estimated population.
- Smaller places close by: Lexa, AR (9 mi); Lula, MS (10 mi); LaGrange, AR (11 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Helena-West Helena
A personal loan is an installment loan: you receive a lump sum and repay it in fixed monthly payments over a set term, usually two to seven years.
The number to compare is the APR, not the interest rate, because the APR folds in origination fees and other charges; our personal loan calculator will show what a given amount and term would cost.
The offer you receive reflects the lender's read of your credit, income and debts, and the term controls the balance between payment size and total interest.
Pre-qualifying with several lenders takes minutes, uses a soft pull, and gives you real numbers to compare before any hard inquiry.
Arkansas lending rules that apply in Helena-West Helena
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Helena-West Helena: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| 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 Helena-West Helena
The steps below are worth completing first when you borrow in Helena-West Helena:
- 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.