Personal loans in Columbia, MS

The roughly 5,727 people who live in Columbia borrow under Mississippi rules; city hall sets no personal-loan rate. Roughly 5,727 residents live in Columbia, the 59th-largest community in Mississippi. A 2020-to-2023 comparison shows Columbia down by about 2.5%. Begin with the payment, then weigh APR and total interest across the lenders that reach Columbia's 5,727 residents. The closest larger city is Hattiesburg, MS about 30 miles away.

Where Columbia stands

Columbia is a small town; the notes below cover its population profile and the statewide rules that apply.

• Population: 5,727 people, a figure that places Columbia 59th among the 299 Census places in Mississippi (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
• Population trend: A decline of about 2.5% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison.
• Net change: roughly 147 fewer people than the 2020 Census counted.
• Size percentile: roughly 80% of Mississippi places rank below Columbia.
• Population density: about 513 people per square mile (Census land area 11.2 sq mi).
• Land area rank: Columbia's 11.2 square miles rank 59th of 299 places in Mississippi.
• Water: Columbia holds about 0.14 square miles, the 47th-largest water area in Mississippi.
• State population share: Columbia accounts for about 0.4% of everyone in Mississippi.
• National rank: Columbia is the 4,478th most populous of the 19,457 Census places covered here.
• Growth rank: Columbia's 2020-to-2023 change ranks 144th of 299 places in Mississippi.
• Against the state trend: Columbia's 2.5% change compares with a Mississippi average of -2.3% across its 299 places.
• Density in Mississippi: Columbia ranks 125th by people per square mile.
• Density vs Mississippi: Columbia's 513 people per square mile compare with a state median of 434.
• Location: it lies at 31.2586, -89.8187 in the Census Gazetteer.
• Nearest larger cities: Hattiesburg (30 mi); Bogalusa (33 mi); Petal (35 mi); McComb (39 mi); Brookhaven (43 mi). For most borrowers the comparison happens online, not at a branch.
• Nearest smaller places: Bassfield (17 mi); Sumrall (20 mi); Angie (21 mi).
• Smaller places within 50 miles: 34 of them.
• Within 100 miles: 48 places are larger than Columbia.

Borrowing reach in Columbia

Columbia is moderately settled, with about 513 people per square mile and 6 larger places within 50 miles. Whether Columbia has a local branch or not, a Mississippi-licensed lender can serve its 5,727 people online on the same terms. For a larger market, the closest option is Hattiesburg, MS about 30 miles away.

The Columbia borrowing checklist

These steps shape the offer you get in Columbia, a place of about 5,727 people:

1. Start with the credit file: order the reports, fix the errors, then apply.
2. Test your amount and term in the personal loan calculator first.
3. Line up several pre-qualified offers and let the APR decide.
4. Look the lender up in the Mississippi regulator's licence records before you sign.
5. Weigh a shorter term's higher payment against the interest it saves.
6. Borrow only what the purpose requires, not the maximum you are offered.
7. Decide the purpose and how you will repay it before approaching any lender.

What differs between Columbia and the rest of Mississippi is not the process but the borrower's own file, among the 5,727 people here.

Columbia in state context

Columbia is the 59th-largest of 299 Census places in Mississippi and contains about 0.4% of the state's people. On the 2020-to-2023 trend, Columbia stands 144th among Mississippi's 299 places — roughly the 52th percentile. Its roughly 513 residents per square mile place it 125th among Mississippi's places. By land area, its 11.2 square miles rank 59th of 299 places in Mississippi.

How personal loans work in Columbia

In Columbia, a small town of about 5,727, the amount is advanced up front and repaid in fixed installments; the city's size does not change the pricing. The APR tracks your credit score rather than Columbia's rank of 59th in Mississippi: a strong file may earn a single-digit rate, while damaged credit can push the rate far higher. Because the payment is fixed, the total cost of a Columbia loan is knowable in advance — unlike a revolving card balance.

Which Mississippi laws govern a loan in Columbia

Every row below records a Mississippi rule, its publisher and its retrieval date — the same rules a Columbia lender must follow.