Pearl at a glance
- Population: 28,117 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 9th-largest of 299 places in Mississippi.
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 count put the population at 27,106 (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: roughly 3.7% higher than at the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Mississippi places: 9th of 299 by population (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- Size percentile: about 97% of places in Mississippi are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 32.2725, -90.0918 (Census Gazetteer, US Census Bureau).
- Nearest larger cities: Jackson, MS (8 mi); Hattiesburg, MS (81 mi); Meridian, MS (82 mi); Monroe, LA (117 mi), each a US Census place with its estimated population.
- Smaller places nearby: Flowood, MS (5 mi); Richland, MS (5 mi); Brandon, MS (6 mi), per US Census Bureau estimates.
What a personal loan costs in Pearl
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.
Stretching the term lowers the monthly payment but raises the total interest you pay, so the smallest payment is not automatically the cheapest loan.
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 Pearl
The table lists the Mississippi rules that apply to a loan made in Pearl, each with the regulator that published it.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Pearl
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Pearl:
- 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.