Malvern at a glance
- Population: 11,080 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 35th-largest of 500 places in Arkansas.
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 count put the population at 10,857 (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a gain of roughly 2.1% between the 2020 count and the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Arkansas places: 35th of the state's 500 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it exceeds roughly 93% of Arkansas's Census places by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 34.3736, -92.8213 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Hot Springs, AR (15 mi); Benton, AR (20 mi); Bryant, AR (25 mi); Little Rock, AR (36 mi); Maumelle, AR (41 mi); each population is a US Census Bureau estimate.
- Nearest smaller towns: Rockport, AR (2 mi); Perla, AR (3 mi); Traskwood, AR (10 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Malvern
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 APR is the comparable price of a loan since it folds in fees; model any offer with the personal loan calculator first.
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-qualification is a good first filter: it shows the rate and amount a lender may offer before you agree to a full application and a hard inquiry.
Arkansas lending rules that apply in Malvern
Every figure in the table below is sourced to a publisher with a date; where a state does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate.
| 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 Malvern
A few practical steps will make the process in Malvern 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.