Benton at a glance
- Population: 37,558, the 12th-largest community in Arkansas out of 500 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 35,016 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: an increase of about 7.3% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Arkansas places: 12th in population of 500 places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 98% of places in Arkansas are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 34.5774, -92.5726 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Little Rock, AR (16 mi); North Little Rock, AR (24 mi); Hot Springs, AR (28 mi); Conway, AR (35 mi); Pine Bluff, AR (41 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Nearest smaller towns: Bauxite, AR (4 mi); Bryant, AR (5 mi); Haskell, AR (6 mi) — US Census Bureau populations.
What a personal loan costs in Benton
Personal loans are closed-end installment debt, so the monthly payment and the payoff date are known from the start.
Compare offers on APR rather than the headline rate — the APR includes most fees, and you can model the total with our personal loan calculator.
A longer term reduces what you owe each month and increases the total interest, which is the trade-off to weigh before choosing one.
Shop with more than one lender and treat pre-qualification as an estimate, since the final terms follow a full application.
Arkansas lending rules that apply in Benton
The table lists the Arkansas rules that apply to a loan made in Benton, each with the regulator that published it.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Benton
A few practical steps will make the process in Benton less costly:
- 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 Arkansas using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.