Perla at a glance
- Population: roughly 258 people; 344th of 500 places in Arkansas (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 count put the population at 259 (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a loss of about 0.4% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Arkansas places: 344th of 500 by population (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- Size percentile: about 31% of Arkansas's Census places are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 34.3648 latitude, -92.7762 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Malvern, AR (3 mi); Rockport, AR (3 mi); Poyen, AR (8 mi); Traskwood, AR (9 mi); Tull, AR (12 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Smaller places close by: Lonsdale, AR (13 mi); Friendship, AR (16 mi); Carthage, AR (24 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Perla
A personal loan hands you a single sum and a repayment schedule of equal monthly installments over an agreed term.
APR is the figure that lets you compare like with like, since it wraps fees into the rate; run your own numbers with the personal loan calculator.
Stretching the term lowers the monthly payment but raises the total interest you pay, so the smallest payment is not automatically the cheapest loan.
Set the loan amount from the expense itself rather than the maximum you are approved for, and keep the payment within your existing budget.
Arkansas lending rules that apply in Perla
Where a figure is not published by the state, the row points to the source instead of guessing.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Perla
The steps below are worth completing first when you borrow in Perla:
- 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.