Searcy at a glance
- Population: about 23,813, 23rd by size in Arkansas of 500 places (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 22,940 residents (US Census Bureau, 2020 Census).
- 2020 to 2023 change: population rose about 3.8% (US Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimate vs 2020 Census).
- Rank among Arkansas places: 23rd-largest of 500 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: ahead of around 95% of Arkansas places in population terms (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 35.2411, longitude -91.7352 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Cabot, AR (25 mi); Jacksonville, AR (33 mi); Sherwood, AR (38 mi); North Little Rock, AR (43 mi); Conway, AR (43 mi); each population is a US Census Bureau estimate.
- Nearest smaller communities: Higginson, AR (3 mi); Kensett, AR (4 mi); Judsonia, AR (6 mi) (Census populations).
What a personal loan costs in Searcy
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.
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.
Lenders weigh your credit history, income and debts when they set the rate, and the term you choose then determines how that rate compounds into total cost.
Work out the payment you can comfortably carry each month first, then borrow no more than that figure supports.
Arkansas lending rules that apply in Searcy
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 Searcy
A few practical steps will make the process in Searcy 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.