Personal loans in Charleroi, PA
For a borrower in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, a personal loan can be a reasonable tool or a costly one, and the terms decide which. About 4,174 people live in Charleroi, placing it 239th of 1,013 Census places in Pennsylvania. From the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate, the population declined by about 1.5%. State law, not city hall, decides what a lender may do in Pennsylvania, and a state regulator supervises it; the source is named below. Get pre-qualified with several lenders, then compare APR rather than the headline rate. The closest larger place is Monessen, PA about 1 miles away.
Borrowing in Charleroi: the local picture
Set out below is Charleroi's local context next to the state-level rules that reach every lender here.
- Population: about 4,174 people live here, which puts Charleroi 239th of 1,013 Census places in Pennsylvania (Vintage 2023).
- Population trend: A drop of about 1.5% from 2020 to 2023.
- Size percentile: it sits ahead of around 76% of Pennsylvania places.
- Location: 40.1379, -79.8998 (Census Gazetteer coordinates).
- Nearest larger cities: Monessen (1 mi); Donora (3 mi); California (5 mi); Clairton (11 mi); Jefferson Hills (11 mi). For most borrowers the comparison happens online, not at a branch.
- Nearest smaller towns: North Charleroi (1 mi); Speers (1 mi); Twilight (2 mi) — useful context for the surrounding area.
What Pennsylvania law requires in Charleroi
Below are the Pennsylvania rules that reach a loan made in Charleroi, each with the regulator that issued it.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 6% per annum maximum for loans of $50,000 or less where no lower rate is contracted (41 P.S. 201(a)). Source says: "the maximum lawful rate of interest for the loan or use of money... shall be six per cent per annum" (Loan Interest and Protection Law, Section 201(a)). | Pennsylvania General Assembly (Laws of Pennsylvania, Act 6 of 1974) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | No separate payday-lending license; non-bank lenders are limited to 6% (unlicensed) or up to 24% (CDCA-licensed), so high-cost payday loans are not permitted. Source says: "if a lender is licensed by the Department in accord with the CDCA, it can charge between 6-24% on loans under $25,000" (DoBS interpretive letter, May 11, 2023). | Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer Discount Company Act license required for non-mortgage consumer loans above 6%; licensed lenders may charge up to 24% on loans of $25,000 or less. Source says: "A consumer discount company is a business corporation that negotiates or makes non-mortgage loans or advances of money on credit." | Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (DoBS) Source says: "The Department of Banking and Securities regulates financial services in Pennsylvania." | Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities as of 2026-09-16 |
| Bank rate-cap exemption (state-specific rule) | Pennsylvania state-chartered banks are not subject to state interest-rate caps (Banking Code Sections 303/506 supersede the LIPL 6% cap). Source says: "Pennsylvania law does not impose any restrictions on the interest rate that Pennsylvania state-chartered banks may charge to customers." (DoBS interpretive letter, May 11, 2023). | Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities as of 2026-09-16 |
What a Charleroi personal loan looks like
When you apply for a personal loan in Charleroi, most lenders start with pre-qualification, which uses a soft credit pull and leaves your score alone. Deciding what the loan is for, and what you will do differently afterward, matters more than the headline rate. If the numbers do not work at a comfortable payment, the right answer may be not to borrow at all.
A pre-application checklist for Charleroi
Before you apply in Charleroi, complete these steps:
- Order your free credit reports and dispute anything inaccurate — it is the cheapest way to move the rate you are offered.
- Price the payment first with our personal loan calculator before any lender quotes you.
- Pre-qualify with three or more lenders, then compare the APR rather than the interest rate.
- Confirm the lender holds a Pennsylvania licence by checking the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for an origination fee and any prepayment penalty before signing.
Common questions
What are my options in Charleroi if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Charleroi?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Charleroi?
Does comparing loans in Charleroi cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- North Charleroi, PA — population 1,282
- Monessen, PA — population 6,723
- Twilight, PA — population 213
- Speers, PA — population 1,070
- North Belle Vernon, PA — population 1,832
- Belle Vernon, PA — population 991
- Long Branch, PA — population 414
- Dunlevy, PA — population 364