Mississippi had 16.0 consumer lending offices per 100,000 people in 2023, more than four times the U.S. rate of 3.6, according to Census Bureau business counts. Louisiana and Oklahoma followed at 14.9 each. At the other end, Arkansas had 0.3 per 100,000, Connecticut 0.4, and Massachusetts and Maine 0.5 each.
These are storefront and office locations of companies whose main business is making unsecured cash loans to consumers, such as installment lenders, consumer finance companies, payday lenders and small loan companies. The Census Bureau counted 12,106 such establishments nationwide, employing 84,206 people.
What the count includes
The figures are for industry code 522291, "Consumer Lending," in the North American Industry Classification System. It covers businesses mainly engaged in making unsecured cash loans to consumers. Banks and credit unions are counted in other industries even though they also make personal loans, and auto finance, mortgage, pawn and sales finance companies are classified separately. An establishment is a single physical location, so a lender with 50 branches counts 50 times. Online lenders with one office count once, where that office is.
Offices per 100,000 people, 2023
| State | Offices per 100,000 people | Offices | Employees | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 16.0 | 469 | 1,709 | 2,939,690 |
| Louisiana | 14.9 | 683 | 2,757 | 4,573,749 |
| Oklahoma | 14.9 | 604 | 1,821 | 4,053,824 |
| Alabama | 12.8 | 652 | 1,959 | 5,108,468 |
| South Carolina | 11.8 | 635 | 2,495 | 5,373,555 |
| Tennessee | 8.9 | 637 | 2,977 | 7,126,489 |
| Missouri | 7.9 | 492 | 1,345 | 6,196,156 |
| Texas | 7.4 | 2,243 | 9,918 | 30,503,301 |
| Georgia | 7.3 | 800 | 4,266 | 11,029,227 |
| Kentucky | 7.2 | 327 | 1,472 | 4,526,154 |
| New Mexico | 7.1 | 151 | 731 | 2,114,371 |
| Idaho | 5.9 | 116 | 369 | 1,964,726 |
| Delaware | 5.1 | 53 | 2,310 | 1,031,890 |
| Utah | 4.3 | 147 | 2,318 | 3,417,734 |
| Nevada | 3.9 | 126 | 885 | 3,194,176 |
| North Carolina | 3.7 | 404 | 2,004 | 10,835,491 |
| Wisconsin | 3.7 | 218 | 1,100 | 5,910,955 |
| Illinois | 3.0 | 374 | 4,392 | 12,549,689 |
| Indiana | 2.9 | 201 | 3,045 | 6,862,199 |
| South Dakota | 2.1 | 19 | 87 | 919,318 |
| Arizona | 2.0 | 152 | 2,372 | 7,431,344 |
| Virginia | 1.9 | 166 | 1,498 | 8,715,698 |
| Kansas | 1.9 | 56 | 160 | 2,940,547 |
| Pennsylvania | 1.8 | 237 | 2,302 | 12,961,683 |
| West Virginia | 1.8 | 32 | 182 | 1,770,071 |
| Ohio | 1.8 | 209 | 1,442 | 11,785,935 |
| Florida | 1.8 | 396 | 2,614 | 22,610,726 |
| Wyoming | 1.7 | 10 | 21 | 584,057 |
| Oregon | 1.7 | 70 | 517 | 4,233,358 |
| California | 1.5 | 589 | 13,433 | 38,965,193 |
| Montana | 1.5 | 17 | 340 | 1,132,812 |
| Maryland | 1.5 | 92 | 1,093 | 6,180,253 |
| North Dakota | 1.1 | 9 | 100 | 783,926 |
| New York | 1.1 | 214 | 2,856 | 19,571,216 |
| New Jersey | 1.1 | 99 | 646 | 9,290,841 |
| Iowa | 1.1 | 34 | 187 | 3,207,004 |
| Hawaii | 1.0 | 15 | 55 | 1,435,138 |
| Washington | 1.0 | 76 | 613 | 7,812,880 |
| Rhode Island | 0.9 | 10 | 68 | 1,095,962 |
| District of Columbia | 0.9 | 6 | 79 | 678,972 |
| Colorado | 0.9 | 51 | 937 | 5,877,610 |
| Nebraska | 0.9 | 17 | 2,332 | 1,978,379 |
| Michigan | 0.8 | 80 | 677 | 10,037,261 |
| Minnesota | 0.7 | 42 | 570 | 5,737,915 |
| New Hampshire | 0.6 | 9 | 134 | 1,402,054 |
| Maine | 0.5 | 7 | 46 | 1,395,722 |
| Massachusetts | 0.5 | 32 | 768 | 7,001,399 |
| Connecticut | 0.4 | 16 | 118 | 3,617,176 |
| Arkansas | 0.3 | 10 | 76 | 3,067,732 |
| Alaska | Not published | Not published | Not published | 733,406 |
| Vermont | Not published | Not published | Not published | 647,464 |
| United States | 3.6 | 12,106 | 84,206 | 334,914,896 |
Establishments with paid employees in NAICS 522291, from County Business Patterns 2023. Population is the 2023 American Community Survey 1-year estimate. The Census Bureau did not publish a consumer lending row for Alaska or Vermont, so we show no figure for them; the U.S. total of 12,106 is 2 more than the sum of the published states. Employee counts are for the pay period including March 12 and are withheld for some states to protect confidentiality.
Why state rates differ so much
State law sets how much interest these lenders can charge and how big their loans can be, and lenders open offices where the rules let them operate profitably. Arkansas is an example: its constitution caps interest on consumer loans at 17% a year, and it has very few consumer lending offices. The count of offices also does not show how many loans each one makes, and it says nothing about online lending.
What to consider before taking a consumer finance loan
- Compare the annual percentage rate, which includes most fees, not just the monthly payment.
- Ask about credit insurance and other add-ons and whether they are optional.
- Check with a credit union or your bank; many offer small personal loans, and federal credit unions cannot charge more than 18% on most loans.
- Your state's financial regulator lists licensed lenders and takes complaints.
Source
U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (CBP2023 API, NAICS2017 code 522291, state and national levels); American Community Survey 2023 1-year estimates, table B01003 (total population). Retrieved October 21, 2026. Rates per 100,000 people are our calculation. Puerto Rico and Guam are not included. U.S. government data in the public domain. Our table is available under CC BY 4.0. Credit "My Credit Guide (mycreditguide.org)".
Steven Reynolds, "Consumer Lending Offices by State," My Credit Guide, October 21, 2026, https://mycreditguide.org/data/consumer-lending-offices-by-state/.