Paragould at a glance
- Population: about 30,520 residents, ranking 15th of 500 Census places in Arkansas (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 29,546 residents at the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau, 2020 count).
- 2020 to 2023 change: population rose about 3.3% (US Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimate vs 2020 Census).
- Rank among Arkansas places: 15th in population of 500 places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 97% of places in Arkansas are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 36.0523, longitude -90.5105 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Jonesboro, AR (19 mi); Bartlett, TN (69 mi); Memphis, TN (72 mi); Germantown, TN (79 mi); Southaven, MS (82 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Nearest smaller communities: Oak Grove Heights, AR (5 mi); Lafe, AR (11 mi); Brookland, AR (11 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Paragould
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.
Because the APR includes origination and finance charges, it is the honest comparison number; the personal loan calculator turns an APR and term into a monthly payment.
A lender weighs your credit profile, income and debts when setting the rate, and a longer term lowers the payment at the cost of more interest overall.
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 Paragould
The Arkansas rate caps and licensing rules that reach Paragould are listed below, each with its source and retrieval date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Paragould
A few practical steps will make the process in Paragould 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.