Picayune at a glance
- Population: 11,862, the 35th-largest community in Mississippi out of 299 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 11,890 residents at the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau, 2020 count).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a decline of roughly 0.2% between the 2020 count and the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Mississippi places: 35th-largest of 299 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: roughly 88% of places in Mississippi rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 30.5308 latitude, -89.6706 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Slidell, LA (18 mi); Mandeville, LA (28 mi); Long Beach, MS (33 mi); New Orleans, LA (37 mi); Gulfport, MS (37 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Nearest smaller towns: Pearl River, LA (12 mi); Sun, LA (17 mi); Bogalusa, LA (20 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Picayune
Most personal loans are unsecured, meaning no collateral is pledged, and they are repaid in equal installments over a fixed term.
APR, not the simple interest rate, reflects what the loan actually costs once fees are included; the personal loan calculator puts a figure on it.
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.
Most lenders offer pre-qualification with a soft credit pull, so you can see an estimated rate and amount without affecting your credit score.
Mississippi lending rules that apply in Picayune
The sourced rows below are the rules a licensed lender must follow when lending in Mississippi, and therefore in Picayune.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Picayune
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Picayune:
- 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.