Personal loans in Elaine, AR
Two households in Elaine, Arkansas with comparable incomes can still be offered different rates, because each lender weighs a credit file its own way. At about 456 residents, Elaine is bigger than roughly 46% of the places in Arkansas. A 2020-to-2023 comparison shows Elaine down by about 11.1%. State law, not city hall, decides what a lender may do in Arkansas, and a state regulator supervises it; the source is named below. Compare APR, not the interest rate, because the APR folds in most fees. The next larger city is Friars Point, MS about 13 miles away.
Borrowing in Elaine: the local picture
Only a few things actually differ by place — population, location, and the Arkansas rules a lender must follow — and they are below.
- Population: about 456, ranked 272nd of 500 places in Arkansas (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- Population trend: A decline of about 11.1% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison.
- Size percentile: bigger than about 46% of the places in Arkansas.
- Location: it lies at 34.3086, -90.8533 in the Census Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Friars Point (13 mi); Marvell (17 mi); Clarksdale (18 mi); Helena-West Helena (20 mi); Jonestown (23 mi). Lenders licensed in the state serve Elaine whether or not they keep a local branch.
- Nearest smaller towns: Lake View (8 mi); St. Charles (17 mi); Alligator (17 mi).
What Arkansas law requires in Elaine
Read the table as a lender's compliance picture for Elaine: the rule, the sourced figure, the publisher and the date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
What a Elaine personal loan looks like
A personal loan in Elaine is an installment loan: a lump sum up front, repaid in fixed monthly payments over a set term, usually two to seven years. The familiar mistake is to move a card balance into a personal loan and then run the cards back up, which doubles the debt instead of clearing it. No advertised example rate is a quote for your own situation.
A pre-application checklist for Elaine
A handful of practical steps will make borrowing in Elaine less expensive:
- Order your free credit reports and dispute anything inaccurate — it is the cheapest way to move the rate you are offered.
- Price the payment first with our personal loan calculator before any lender quotes you.
- Pre-qualify with three or more lenders, then compare the APR rather than the interest rate.
- Confirm the lender holds a Arkansas licence by checking the regulator named above.
- Choose a term you can live with; stretching it lowers the payment but raises total interest.
Common questions
What are my options in Elaine if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Elaine?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Elaine?
Does comparing loans in Elaine cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Lake View, AR — population 296
- Friars Point, MS — population 840
- Alligator, MS — population 107
- Marvell, AR — population 755
- Duncan, MS — population 271
- St. Charles, AR — population 194
- Lexa, AR — population 187
- Clarksdale, MS — population 13,850