Personal loans in Meridian, MS

Rate ceilings, licensing requirements and product limits for Meridian are all set at the Mississippi level. Roughly 33,551 residents live in Meridian, the 8th-largest community in Mississippi. Begin with the payment, then weigh APR and total interest across the lenders that reach Meridian's 33,551 residents. The trend for Meridian between 2020 and 2023 is downward by roughly 4.3%. For a bigger market, look to Hattiesburg, MS about 83 miles away.

What the Census records for Meridian

Two layers matter for a Meridian borrower: the local population picture and Mississippi's consumer-lending statutes.

• Population: about 33,551, ranked 8th of 299 places in Mississippi (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
• Population trend: About 4.3% below the 2020 Census base.
• Absolute change: 1,499 residents lost between 2020 and 2023.
• Size percentile: Meridian sits ahead of around 97% of Mississippi places, at 33,551 people.
• Population density: 624 people per square mile on 53.7 square miles of land.
• Land area rank: Meridian's 53.7 square miles rank 5th of 299 places in Mississippi.
• Water area rank: Meridian ranks 18th among Mississippi's 299 places, with 0.76 sq mi.
• Within Mississippi: about 2.3% of the state's population lives in Meridian.
• National rank: Meridian is the 1,187th most populous of the 19,457 Census places covered here.
• Growth in Mississippi: Meridian stands 211th by percentage change from 2020 to 2023, among 299 places.
• Versus Mississippi: the state average change is -2.3%, while Meridian moved 4.3%.
• Density rank: Meridian places 91st among Mississippi's places by people per square mile.
• Against the state median: Meridian runs about 624 residents per square mile, where the Mississippi median is 434.
• Location: it lies at 32.3842, -88.6894 in the Census Gazetteer.
• Nearest larger cities: Hattiesburg (83 mi); Jackson (89 mi); Tuscaloosa (89 mi). For most borrowers the comparison happens online, not at a branch.
• Smaller communities within reach: Marion (4 mi); Chunky (15 mi); Enterprise (16 mi).
• Within a 50-mile radius: 43 smaller Census places.
• Larger places within 100 miles: 3.

Meridian on the map

The Census Gazetteer records 53.7 square miles of land and 0.76 square miles of water within Meridian. With 33,551 residents, the land area yields roughly 624 people per square mile. The state's population centre of gravity, Jackson, is roughly 89 miles away. Meridian has 0 larger places within a 50-mile radius. By land area it ranks 5th of 299 Mississippi places.

A practical checklist for Meridian borrowers

Complete these steps first when you borrow in Meridian (33,551 residents):

1. Check all three credit reports for mistakes, because an error you fix now is a lower rate later.
2. Model the payment on the calculator before a lender models it for you.
3. Line up several pre-qualified offers and let the APR decide.
4. Confirm the lender holds a Mississippi licence by checking the regulator named above.
5. If debt is already a struggle, talk to a nonprofit credit counsellor before borrowing more.
6. Read the disclosure for an origination fee and any prepayment penalty before signing.
7. Check that the monthly payment fits your budget next to your existing obligations.

The process is identical across Mississippi; what changes is your credit file, not the fact that Meridian holds 33,551 people.

How personal loans work in Meridian

A Meridian personal loan is an installment loan: a lump sum, then fixed monthly payments over a set term, priced off your credit rather than its 33,551 residents. The rate you see advertised is a range, not a promise, until a lender reviews your file in Meridian. The term you choose in Meridian decides the split between a comfortable payment and the total interest you pay.

The state rulebook for Meridian

When Mississippi does not publish a figure, the row links to the source instead of inventing a number; Meridian is bound by the same rules.

How Meridian compares across Mississippi

Against Mississippi's other places, Meridian accounts for about 2.3% of the state's population and ranks 8th of 299 by size. For population change between 2020 and 2023, Meridian ranks 211th of 299 in Mississippi (about the 29th percentile). At about 624 people per square mile, Meridian is the 91st most densely settled place in Mississippi. By land area, its 53.7 square miles rank 5th of 299 places in Mississippi.