Central City at a glance
- Population: 466 residents, the 269th-largest of 500 places in Arkansas (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 count put the population at 465 (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: up roughly 0.2% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Arkansas places: 269th in population of 500 places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 46% of places in Arkansas are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: it sits at 35.3364, -94.2380 in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities (within 120 miles): Barling, AR (2 mi); Lavaca, AR (3 mi); Kibler, AR (6 mi); Fort Smith, AR (8 mi); Greenwood, AR (9 mi) (US Census Bureau populations).
- Nearest smaller communities: Moffett, OK (13 mi); Rudy, AR (13 mi); Branch, AR (16 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Central City
With an installment loan the payment is fixed for the life of the loan, so the schedule is predictable from the first month to the last.
The number to compare is the APR, not the interest rate, because the APR folds in origination fees and other charges; our personal loan calculator will show what a given amount and term would cost.
Because interest accrues for longer, a longer term means a lower installment and a higher total cost — decide which matters more to you.
A payment that strains the budget is a warning sign; a smaller loan or a little more saving time is the safer route.
Arkansas lending rules that apply in Central City
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Central City: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| 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 Central City
Before you commit to a personal loan in Central City, work through these steps:
- 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.