Personal loans in Clarksdale, MS
In Clarksdale, one of 299 Census places in Mississippi, the figure to compare across lenders is the APR, not the advertised rate. By population, Clarksdale sits at 28th in Mississippi, with an estimated 13,850 residents. Work out your debt-to-income ratio first; lenders weigh it heavily, and Clarksdale's 13,850 residents are no exception. The 2020 count to the 2023 estimate shows about 7.0% decline in Clarksdale. A single loan can carry different costs on either side of a state line, and Clarksdale sits on the Mississippi side of that line. The closest larger city is Hernando, MS about 56 miles away.
Clarksdale: the sourced local profile
Set out below is Clarksdale's local context next to the state-level rules that reach every lender here.
- Population: 13,850 residents; Clarksdale is the 28th-largest of 299 places in Mississippi (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- Population trend: The 2020-to-2023 change is negative, near 7.0%.
- Change in people: the 2020-to-2023 comparison is a loss of about 1,040 residents.
- Size percentile: with 13,850 residents, Clarksdale is larger than about 91% of Mississippi's Census places.
- Density: roughly 737 residents per square mile, spread over 18.8 sq mi of land.
- Land area rank: Clarksdale's 18.8 square miles rank 31st of 299 places in Mississippi.
- Share of Mississippi: Clarksdale holds about 0.9% of the state's population, some 13,850 people.
- National rank: Clarksdale is the 2,498th most populous of the 19,457 Census places covered here.
- Growth rank: Clarksdale's 2020-to-2023 change ranks 263rd of 299 places in Mississippi.
- Versus Mississippi: the state average change is -2.3%, while Clarksdale moved 7.0%.
- Density rank: Clarksdale places 74th among Mississippi's places by people per square mile.
- Against the state median: Clarksdale runs about 737 residents per square mile, where the Mississippi median is 434.
- Location: mapped by the US Census Bureau at 34.1938, -90.5686.
- Nearest larger cities: Hernando (56 mi); Oxford (60 mi); Horn Lake (60 mi); Southaven (62 mi); Greenville (63 mi). Any of them may have more branches, but statewide rules and your credit still set the price.
- Nearest smaller places: Lyon (2 mi); Jonestown (11 mi); Alligator (11 mi).
- Within a 50-mile radius: 62 smaller Census places.
- Within 100 miles: 16 places are larger than Clarksdale.
Clarksdale's place among Mississippi's 299 places
Against Mississippi's other places, Clarksdale accounts for about 0.9% of the state's population and ranks 28th of 299 by size. On the 2020-to-2023 trend, Clarksdale stands 263rd among Mississippi's 299 places — roughly the 12th percentile. At about 737 people per square mile, Clarksdale is the 74th most densely settled place in Mississippi. In land area, Clarksdale ranks 31st among Mississippi's 299 places.
Clarksdale: area, density and distance
Clarksdale covers about 18.8 square miles of land (Census Gazetteer); no significant water area is recorded inside its boundaries. That land carries about 737 people per square mile. Jackson, the largest place in Mississippi, is about 131 miles from Clarksdale. A 50-mile radius around Clarksdale takes in 0 places that are larger. By land area it ranks 31st of 299 Mississippi places.
How personal loans work in Clarksdale
Most loans made to Clarksdale's 13,850 residents are unsecured, so nothing is pledged and the lender relies on your credit history. The APR tracks your credit score rather than Clarksdale's rank of 28th in Mississippi: a strong file may earn a single-digit rate, while damaged credit can push the rate far higher. A longer term lowers the monthly payment on a Clarksdale loan but raises total interest, so the smallest payment is not the cheapest loan.
What to do before borrowing in Clarksdale
Before you apply in Clarksdale, a community of about 13,850, work through these steps:
- Start with the credit file: order the reports, fix the errors, then apply.
- Price the payment first with our personal loan calculator before any lender quotes you.
- Line up several pre-qualified offers and let the APR decide.
- Check the Mississippi regulator's records to confirm the lender is licensed here.
- Decide the purpose and how you will repay it before approaching any lender.
- If debt is already a struggle, talk to a nonprofit credit counsellor before borrowing more.
- Check the disclosure for fees that raise the true cost above the quoted rate.
None of these steps is Clarksdale-specific: the same Mississippi licensing and disclosure rules reach all 13,850 residents.
Which Mississippi laws govern a loan in Clarksdale
For the roughly 13,850 residents of Clarksdale, the rules below are Mississippi's own; each row carries its publisher and retrieval 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 |
| 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 |
Common questions
What are my options in Clarksdale if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Clarksdale?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Clarksdale?
Does comparing loans in Clarksdale cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Lyon, MS — population 270
- Jonestown, MS — population 902
- Coahoma, MS — population 219
- Friars Point, MS — population 840
- Alligator, MS — population 107
- Tutwiler, MS — population 2,418
- Duncan, MS — population 271
- Lula, MS — population 190