French Settlement at a glance
- Population: about 1,141 residents, ranking 147th of 302 Census places in Louisiana (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 1,074 residents (US Census Bureau, 2020 Census).
- 2020 to 2023 change: roughly 6.2% higher than at the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Louisiana places: 147th of 302 by population (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- Size percentile: about 51% of places in Louisiana are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: mapped at 30.3319, -90.8143 by the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities within 120 miles: Gonzales, LA (10 mi); Sorrento, LA (11 mi); Walker, LA (11 mi); Livingston, LA (12 mi); Denham Springs, LA (13 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Smaller places nearby: Port Vincent, LA (2 mi); Springfield, LA (17 mi); Tickfaw, LA (26 mi), per US Census Bureau estimates.
What a personal loan costs in French Settlement
A personal loan is structured as an installment plan, with a set number of monthly payments and a fixed amount due each time.
Judge an offer by its APR, which blends the interest rate with fees, and use the personal loan calculator to see the total cost.
Your credit, income and existing debts drive the rate a lender offers, while the term you pick sets how much interest builds on top.
Before you borrow, decide what the loan is for and whether the monthly payment fits a budget you can already meet without taking on new debt.
Louisiana lending rules that apply in French Settlement
Every figure in the table below is sourced to a publisher with a date; where a state does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 12% per annum maximum conventional interest (La. R.S. 9:3500(C)(1)) Source says: "The amount of the conventional interest cannot exceed twelve percent per annum." | Louisiana State Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal and licensed — deferred presentment and small loans ($350 or less, 60 days or less) under OFI-issued licenses Source says: "Persons who make loans of $350 or less for a term of 60 days or less." | Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in French Settlement
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in French Settlement:
- 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 Louisiana using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.