Original research · 50 states + DC · CC-BY-4.0

The Cost Index 2026: the same $300 loan costs $4 or $75 — by state.

Name: 50-State Payday Loan Cost Index 2026
Creator: Big Daddy Loans
Published: 2026-05-24
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A two-week, $300 payday loan might cost you around $4 in a state with a 36% APR limit, but roughly $66 in Texas and close to $75 in Nevada or Idaho (an APR of ~652%) — your state's laws set the price, not your credit score. Payday loans are prohibited in 14 states and the District of Columbia (covering approximately 27% of Americans); in legal states, the average fee on a population basis is $16.66 for every $100 you borrow.

Key finding. Cross one state line and the identical loan can cost 18× more. Maine caps the fee at $1.15 per $100 (30% APR); Nevada and Idaho run to $25.01 per $100 (~652% APR). Nothing about the borrower changes — only the statute. We built this from primary-source rate caps and fee schedules for all 50 states + DC, downloadable as CSV under CC-BY-4.0.

First published on May 24, 2026 · Last updated June 11, 2026 · Expert review by Roman Okafor, AFC^® and Curtis Brennan, CFP^® · Get the data file (CSV) · Use the embed code · Download the press kit

National avg (allowed)

$16.66

Per $100 / 14d, pop-weighted

Most expensive

$25.01

Nevada · Idaho — ~652% APR

Most protective

$1.15

Maine — 30% APR cap

Effectively banned

14+DC

27.1% of US population

The map

Cost per $100 / 14 days, by state.

Move your cursor over any state to view its rate, APR, and legal standing. Color indicates cost level (darker shading = higher expense). White means payday loans are prohibited.

36% APR or less ($1–$2 fee)

Low storefront ($10–$15)

Mid storefront ($15–$20)

High storefront ($20+)

Effectively banned

This is a tile cartogram (every tile is one state, not scaled by physical area — making smaller states easy to see). Numbers represent the fee charged for every $100 lent on a 14-day, single-payment loan. Information sources: state regulatory bodies plus the Big Daddy Loans Compliance Matrix v0.1.

The rankings

Where it's most expensive.

Top 10 most expensive states per $100 borrowed for a 14-day period. APRs shown are averages for the storefront market in states with no caps, and legal maximums for states that set limits. Four states have a $20.00 cost: Wyoming, Mississippi, and North Dakota because of their legal caps; Delaware (which has no rate cap) based on typical market pricing.

#	State	$/$100/14d	$/$300/14d	Effective APR	Strategy
1	Nevada	$25.01	$75.03	652%	Direct
1	Idaho	$25.01	$75.03	652%	Direct
3	Utah	$23.50	$70.50	613%	Direct
4	Wisconsin	$22.80	$68.40	595%	Direct
5	Texas CAB/CSO	$22.10	$66.30	576%	CAB
6	Missouri	$20.50	$61.50	535%	Direct
7	Wyoming	$20.00	$60.00	521%	Direct
7	Mississippi	$20.00	$60.00	521%	Direct
7	North Dakota	$20.00	$60.00	521%	Direct
7	Delaware	$20.00	$60.00	521%	Direct

Methodology

How we calculated this.

We determined the total expense of a standard payday loan ($300 amount, 14-day duration, single payment) by using original data from each state's financial regulator, the CFPB enforcement records, the OCC's reports on small-dollar lending, and statistics from the NCUA's PAL program.

When a state's legal rate limit is set below what payday lenders need to operate profitably (approximately 36% APR or lower), we classify it as "effectively banned" and confirm this by reviewing the regulator's list of licensed lenders. Loans from out-of-state companies offered to residents at higher rates are generally unenforceable in the courts of those states.

For states that have "no cap" (Idaho, Utah, Wisconsin, Texas-via-CAB, Nevada, Delaware), we applied average market rates from OLA disclosures and market research by The Pew Charitable Trusts. These numbers show the usual storefront average; costs from different lenders can vary significantly.

The quoted "national average" of $16.66 per $100 for a 14-day term is weighted by population and calculated only across states where payday lending is legal (listed as "allowed" or "restricted" in our data). Populations in banned states (90.7 million, about 27.1%) are tallied separately.

The complete methodology and the full 51-entry dataset are available as a CSV download under a CC-BY 4.0 license — when using this data, please reference "Big Daddy Loans 2026 State Payday Cost Index, bigdaddy-loans.com/research/cost-index-2026".

If you are currently considering a loan: find out what a payday loan would cost you locally, use our calculator to figure the total cost, verify its legality in your state, or look at more affordable options before you decide.

Related research

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For journalists

Press kit + downloadable data, free to use.

Ready-to-use headlines, introductory text, state-specific statistics, and quotable expert opinions. All under a CC-BY 4.0 license.

Download press kit (PDF) Download data table (CSV) Get embed code

For media questions: [email protected] · Roman Okafor, AFC® is available for interviews.

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<iframe src="https://bigdaddy-loans.com/research/cost-index-2026-embed.html"
  width="100%" height="620" style="border:0;" loading="lazy"
  title="Big Daddy Loans 50-State Payday Loan Cost Index 2026"></iframe>
<p><small>Source: <a href="https://bigdaddy-loans.com/research/cost-index-2026/">Big Daddy Loans Cost Index 2026</a></small></p>

Do you want the original data? Get the 51-row spreadsheet (CSV) or the full press kit for journalists (PDF). For inquiries: [email protected].