Personal loans in Melville, LA

Population in Melville dropped about 1.6% over the three years from 2020 to 2023. Melville is a small community of about 749 residents, and a personal loan taken out here is governed by Louisiana statute. Roughly 749 residents live in Melville, the 178th-largest community in Louisiana. The next larger city is Fordoche, LA about 10 miles away. State law, rather than federal rules alone, supplies the rate caps and licensing rules that reach Melville's 749 residents. Rate-shopping from Melville costs nothing at pre-qualification, where a soft pull leaves your credit file alone.

By the Personalloaner Editorial Team · Last updated 2026-09-16

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How we get paid: if you apply through the link above, a lending partner may send us a referral fee. It never changes the rate you are offered or what we publish. We are not a lender and we do not process applications. The lowest rates are only available to the most qualified applicants. Full disclosure.

Melville: the sourced local profile

Read the local figures below as context; read the sourced Louisiana table as the rulebook a lender here must follow.

Population: 749 residents; Melville is the 178th-largest of 302 places in Louisiana (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
Population trend: Lower by roughly 1.6% since the 2020 count.
Absolute change: 12 residents lost between 2020 and 2023.
Size percentile: roughly 41% of Louisiana places rank below Melville.
Density: roughly 596 residents per square mile, spread over 1.3 sq mi of land.
Land area rank: Melville's 1.3 square miles rank 237th of 302 places in Louisiana.
Water area rank: Melville ranks 96th among Louisiana's 302 places, with 0.03 sq mi.
State population share: Melville accounts for about 0.0% of everyone in Louisiana.
National rank: Melville sits 11,467th by population among the 19,457 places in this dataset.
Growth in Louisiana: Melville stands 97th by percentage change from 2020 to 2023, among 302 places.
Against the state trend: Melville's 1.6% change compares with a Louisiana average of -2.1% across its 302 places.
Density rank: Melville is the 140th most densely settled place in Louisiana.
Density vs Louisiana: Melville's 596 people per square mile compare with a state median of 534.
Location: it lies at 30.6920, -91.7505 in the Census Gazetteer.
Nearest larger cities: Fordoche (10 mi); Krotz Springs (11 mi); Livonia (15 mi); Port Barre (15 mi); New Roads (18 mi). Online lenders reach Melville no matter how far the nearest branch is.
Nearest smaller towns: Palmetto (10 mi); Morganza (10 mi); Washington (19 mi).
Smaller neighbours: 16 places smaller than Melville sit within 50 miles.
Larger places within 100 miles: 124.

What to do before borrowing in Melville

These steps shape the offer you get in Melville, a place of about 749 people:

Get your credit reports, dispute what is wrong, and only then start shopping.
Test your amount and term in the personal loan calculator first.
Shop at least three lenders and judge them on APR and total cost.
Verify the lender's Louisiana licence with the regulator listed on this page.
Pick the shortest term whose payment you can comfortably afford.
Borrow only what the purpose requires, not the maximum you are offered.
Decide the purpose and how you will repay it before approaching any lender.

What differs between Melville and the rest of Louisiana is not the process but the borrower's own file, among the 749 people here.

What a Melville borrower is actually offered

Most loans made to Melville's 749 residents are unsecured, so nothing is pledged and the lender relies on your credit history. A lender serving Melville's 749 residents must disclose the APR and finance charge in writing before you sign. The term you choose in Melville decides the split between a comfortable payment and the total interest you pay.

Melville: area, density and distance

Inside Melville's boundaries lie roughly 1.3 square miles of land and 0.03 square miles of water. The resulting density is about 596 people per square mile. The largest place in Louisiana, New Orleans, lies about 117 miles away. Counting outward 50 miles, 50 larger communities surround Melville. Within the same 50 miles lie 16 smaller Census places.

How Louisiana law applies in Melville

Louisiana has no separate rate rule for Melville; the sourced rows below are what reach every lender that serves its 749 people.

Rule	Detail	Source
State lending regulator	Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions (OFI), Non-Depository Division Source says: "OFI is responsible for the supervision of various entities which provide financial services to the citizens of the State of Louisiana."	Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16
Small-loan / installment lender licensing	Consumer loan license required from OFI before making consumer loans Source says: "Persons who wish to engage in the business of making consumer loans must hold a consumer loan license issued by this Office"	Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16
Licensed-lender consumer loan finance charge caps	36% first $1,400; 27% to $4,000; 24% to $7,000; 21% above (R.S. 9:3519(A)) Source says: "Thirty-six percent per year for that portion of the unpaid principal amount of the loan not exceeding one thousand four hundred dollars"	Louisiana State Legislature as of 2026-09-16

How lenders reach Melville

Melville is a moderately settled community of about 749 people, with 50 larger places inside a 50-mile radius. Distance to a branch rarely matters for Melville's 749 residents: the application is online and the price follows your credit file. The nearest bigger place is Fordoche, LA about 10 miles away.

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Common questions

What are my options in Melville if my credit is poor?

Borrowing is still possible, but expect a higher APR and a smaller approved amount. Lenders that accept lower scores hold statewide licences, so what is open to you in Melville is the same as anywhere in Louisiana.

What loan size can I expect in Melville?

Most personal loans sit somewhere between $1,000 and $50,000, though the figure you are approved for turns on the lender, your income and your credit. Model the monthly payment first with our personal loan calculator.

Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Melville?

For an unsecured personal loan, no — there is nothing to pledge. A secured loan, such as home equity or one secured by a vehicle, does require collateral, and default puts that asset at risk.

Does comparing loans in Melville cost me credit score points?

Not during pre-qualification, which normally uses a soft pull and leaves your score alone. Submitting a full application triggers a hard inquiry, which can trim a few points briefly.

Nearby places

Palmetto, LA — population 97
Krotz Springs, LA — population 887
Fordoche, LA — population 874
Morganza, LA — population 503
Livonia, LA — population 1,166
Port Barre, LA — population 1,749
Simmesport, LA — population 1,415
New Roads, LA — population 4,339