Houston at a glance
- Population: 3,713, the 74th-largest community in Mississippi out of 299 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 3,799 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: roughly 2.3% fewer residents than at the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Mississippi places: 74th out of 299 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 75% of places in Mississippi are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: mapped at 33.8962, -89.0035 by the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities (120-mile radius): Pontotoc, MS (25 mi); Aberdeen, MS (26 mi); West Point, MS (28 mi); Tupelo, MS (30 mi); Amory, MS (30 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Smaller towns nearby: Woodland, MS (8 mi); New Houlka, MS (10 mi); Vardaman, MS (10 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Houston
Personal loans are closed-end installment debt, so the monthly payment and the payoff date are known from the start.
The APR is the comparable price of a loan since it folds in fees; model any offer with the personal loan calculator first.
Choosing a longer term eases the monthly budget but adds interest over the life of the loan; a shorter term costs more per month and less overall.
Shop with more than one lender and treat pre-qualification as an estimate, since the final terms follow a full application.
Mississippi lending rules that apply in Houston
The Mississippi rate caps and licensing rules that reach Houston are listed below, each with its source and retrieval date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Houston
The order below is a sensible way to approach a loan in Houston:
- 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.