Personal loans in Fayetteville, AR
Fayetteville is a sizable city of about 101,680 residents, and a personal loan taken out here is governed by Arkansas statute. Read the disclosure for an origination fee and any prepayment penalty before signing in Fayetteville. At about 101,680 residents, Fayetteville is larger than roughly 100% of the places in Arkansas. Lenders active in Fayetteville report to a Arkansas supervisor, identified in the sourced rows below. Census figures put the 2020-to-2023 increase in Fayetteville at about 7.8%. The closest larger place is Broken Arrow, OK about 90 miles away.
The Fayetteville data picture
What follows is Fayetteville's place in the Census record, alongside the Arkansas rules that govern a personal loan made here.
- Population: the Census counts 101,680 residents in Fayetteville (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 2nd-largest figure among Arkansas's 500 places.
- Population trend: Up about 7.8% from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate.
- Change in people: the 2020-to-2023 comparison is a gain of about 7,368 residents.
- Size percentile: roughly 100% of Arkansas places rank below Fayetteville.
- Density: roughly 1,857 residents per square mile, spread over 54.8 sq mi of land.
- Land area: Fayetteville covers 54.8 square miles, the 4th-largest area among Arkansas's 500 places.
- Water: Fayetteville holds about 1.38 square miles, the 6th-largest water area in Arkansas.
- Share of state population: Fayetteville's 101,680 residents are about 4.9% of Arkansas.
- National rank: Fayetteville is 316th of 19,457 places nationwide.
- Growth rank: Fayetteville ranks 33rd among Arkansas's 500 places for the 2020-to-2023 change.
- State comparison: Arkansas's places average +0.3% for 2020-to-2023, against Fayetteville's 7.8%.
- Density in Arkansas: Fayetteville ranks 4th by people per square mile.
- Against the state median: Fayetteville runs about 1,857 residents per square mile, where the Arkansas median is 386.
- Location: it lies at 36.0715, -94.1666 in the Census Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Broken Arrow (90 mi); Springfield (91 mi); Tulsa (97 mi). A branch is convenient; it is not what sets your APR.
- Smaller communities close by: Johnson (4 mi); Farmington (5 mi); Greenland (5 mi), each with its own Census population profile.
- Smaller places within 50 miles: 82 of them.
- Within 100 miles: 3 places are larger than Fayetteville.
How lenders reach Fayetteville
At roughly 1,857 people per square mile, Fayetteville is moderately settled; 0 larger places lie within 50 miles. Lenders licensed in Arkansas reach Fayetteville's 101,680 residents online, so the nearest branch is not what sets your APR. The nearest bigger place is Broken Arrow, OK about 90 miles away.
Arkansas rules behind a Fayetteville personal loan
Every row below records a Arkansas rule, its publisher and its retrieval date — the same rules a Fayetteville lender must follow.
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
A practical checklist for Fayetteville borrowers
Before you apply in Fayetteville, a community of about 101,680, work through these steps:
- Start with the credit file: order the reports, fix the errors, then apply.
- Price the payment first with our personal loan calculator before any lender quotes you.
- Collect three or more offers and compare them on APR, not on the advertised rate.
- Make sure the lender appears in the Arkansas regulator's licence list.
- Make sure the new payment leaves room in a budget you already keep.
- Choose a term you can live with; stretching it lowers the payment but raises total interest.
- Borrow only what the purpose requires, not the maximum you are offered.
In Fayetteville as elsewhere in Arkansas, the written terms — not the advertisement — are what count for its 101,680 residents.
Fayetteville against the rest of Arkansas
Against Arkansas's other places, Fayetteville accounts for about 4.9% of the state's population and ranks 2nd of 500 by size. On the 2020-to-2023 trend, Fayetteville stands 33rd among Arkansas's 500 places — roughly the 93th percentile. Its roughly 1,857 residents per square mile place it 4th among Arkansas's places. Within 50 miles sit 82 smaller Census places, alongside the 0 that are larger.
How a Fayetteville personal loan is priced
A Fayetteville personal loan is an installment loan: a lump sum, then fixed monthly payments over a set term, priced off your credit rather than its 101,680 residents. Federal Truth in Lending rules require a Fayetteville lender to disclose the APR and finance charge before you sign. Shortening the term on a Fayetteville loan raises the monthly payment but cuts the interest; lengthening it does the reverse.
Common questions
What are my options in Fayetteville if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Fayetteville?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Fayetteville?
Does comparing loans in Fayetteville cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Johnson, AR — population 3,672
- Greenland, AR — population 1,220
- Farmington, AR — population 9,761
- Springdale, AR — population 88,224
- Tontitown, AR — population 7,364
- West Fork, AR — population 2,353
- Elm Springs, AR — population 2,847
- Elkins, AR — population 3,889