Starkville at a glance
- Population: 25,444, the 16th-largest community in Mississippi out of 299 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 25,778 people (US Census Bureau, 2020 Census count).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a loss of about 1.3% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Mississippi places: 16th in population of 299 places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: roughly 95% of Mississippi's places have fewer residents (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 33.4633 latitude, -88.8278 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities within 120 miles: Tupelo, MS (56 mi); Northport, AL (72 mi); Oxford, MS (74 mi); Meridian, MS (75 mi); Tuscaloosa, AL (77 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Nearest smaller towns: Artesia, MS (11 mi); West Point, MS (14 mi); Sturgis, MS (15 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Starkville
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.
Your credit, income and existing debts drive the rate a lender offers, while the term you pick sets how much interest builds on top.
Set the loan amount from the expense itself rather than the maximum you are approved for, and keep the payment within your existing budget.
Mississippi lending rules that apply in Starkville
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Starkville: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Starkville
The order below is a sensible way to approach a loan in Starkville:
- 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.