Sour Lake at a glance
- Population: 1,851 people, the 629th-largest place among Texas's 1,224 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 1,772 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: up roughly 4.5% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Texas places: 629th out of 1,224 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: roughly 49% of places in Texas rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 30.1377 / -94.4043, per the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Lumberton, TX (14 mi); Beaumont, TX (16 mi); Kountze, TX (17 mi); Silsbee, TX (20 mi); Liberty, TX (24 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Smaller places nearby: Nome, TX (7 mi); China, TX (8 mi); Bevil Oaks, TX (8 mi), per US Census Bureau estimates.
What a personal loan costs in Sour Lake
Unlike a revolving credit card, a personal loan is closed-end: the balance falls on a fixed schedule and the payment does not change.
Two loans can share an interest rate and still differ in APR once fees are counted, so compare APR; our personal loan calculator shows the difference over the full term.
Because interest accrues for longer, a longer term means a lower installment and a higher total cost — decide which matters more to you.
Shop with more than one lender and treat pre-qualification as an estimate, since the final terms follow a full application.
Texas lending rules that apply in Sour Lake
The table carries the Texas rate and licensing rules that apply to consumer loans made in Sour Lake.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Payday lending status | Legal via licensed credit access businesses (payday/title-loan brokers); the third-party lender itself is not licensed (Tex. Fin. Code ch. 393) Source says: the credit access business that serves as the broker is the licensee in this regulated industry | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | License required for non-depository lenders charging more than 10% interest; Chapter 342 governs consumer loans (Tex. Fin. Code § 342.051) Source says: Non-depository lenders who engage in making, transacting, or collecting loans with a rate of interest greater than 10% must be licensed by the OCCC. | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) Source says: The OCCC licenses and regulates non-depository lenders in the state of Texas. | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 10% per year maximum; a greater rate is usurious unless otherwise provided by law (Tex. Fin. Code § 302.001) Source says: The maximum rate or amount of interest is 10 percent a year except as otherwise provided by law. | Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Sour Lake
Here is a short checklist for comparing personal loans in Sour Lake:
- 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 Texas using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.