Watson at a glance
- Population: 169 — 394th in Arkansas, which has 500 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 184 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a loss of about 8.2% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Arkansas places: 394th largest of 500 (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 21% of Arkansas's Census places are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: the Census Gazetteer places it at 33.8937, -91.2571.
- Nearest larger cities (120-mile radius): Rosedale, MS (12 mi); Dumas, AR (13 mi); Mitchellville, AR (14 mi); Gillett, AR (17 mi); Beulah, MS (17 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Nearest smaller communities: Winchester, AR (15 mi); Tillar, AR (17 mi); Reed, AR (17 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Watson
A personal loan is structured as an installment plan, with a set number of monthly payments and a fixed amount due each time.
Compare every quote on APR because it includes the fees the interest rate hides, and check the payment with our personal loan calculator.
Choosing a longer term eases the monthly budget but adds interest over the life of the loan; a shorter term costs more per month and less overall.
Most lenders offer pre-qualification with a soft credit pull, so you can see an estimated rate and amount without affecting your credit score.
Arkansas lending rules that apply in Watson
The Arkansas rate caps and licensing rules that reach Watson are listed below, each with its source and retrieval date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Watson
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Watson:
- 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.