Personal loans in Clay, WV

What the Census records for Clay

Here is the sourced Census picture for Clay, plus the West Virginia lending rules that apply to a loan taken out here.

• Population: a Census-estimated 375, 169th among West Virginia's 230 places (Vintage 2023).
• Population trend: Roughly 5.3% fewer residents than the 2020 Census counted.
• Net change: roughly 21 fewer people than the 2020 Census counted.
• Size percentile: roughly 27% of West Virginia's places have fewer residents than Clay's 375.
• Land and density: 0.6 square miles of land carry roughly 672 residents per square mile.
• By land area: Clay ranks 147th among West Virginia's 230 places, at 0.6 sq mi.
• Water area rank: Clay ranks 52nd among West Virginia's 230 places, with 0.06 sq mi.
• Share of West Virginia: Clay holds about 0.1% of the state's population, some 375 people.
• Nationally: Clay is the 14,346th-largest of 19,457 Census places in the dataset.
• Growth rank: Clay's 2020-to-2023 change ranks 196th of 230 places in West Virginia.
• Versus West Virginia: the state average change is -3.0%, while Clay moved 5.3%.
• Density rank: Clay is the 167th most densely settled place in West Virginia.
• Density in context: Clay's 672 people per square mile sit against a West Virginia median of 1,021.
• Location: coordinates 38.4615, -81.0849 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
• Nearest larger cities: Clendenin (15 mi); Summersville (18 mi); Gauley Bridge (21 mi); Gassaway (22 mi); Ansted (23 mi). Online lenders reach Clay no matter how far the nearest branch is.
• Smaller places nearby: Handley (24 mi); Camden-on-Gauley (27 mi); Flatwoods (29 mi).
• Smaller neighbours: 12 places smaller than Clay sit within 50 miles.
• Within 100 miles: 201 places are larger than Clay.

Clay: area, density and distance

The Census Gazetteer records 0.6 square miles of land and 0.06 square miles of water within Clay. Spread across it are roughly 672 residents per square mile. The state's population centre of gravity, Charleston, is roughly 31 miles away. A 50-mile radius around Clay takes in 43 places that are larger. By land area it ranks 147th of 230 West Virginia places.

The anatomy of a Clay personal loan

Most loans made to Clay's 375 residents are unsecured, so nothing is pledged and the lender relies on your credit history. A lender serving Clay's 375 residents must disclose the APR and finance charge in writing before you sign. Because the payment is fixed, the total cost of a Clay loan is knowable in advance — unlike a revolving card balance.

Before you apply in Clay

For Clay's roughly 375 residents, these are the steps that most influence the offer:

1. Check all three credit reports for mistakes, because an error you fix now is a lower rate later.
2. Run the numbers on the personal loan calculator so you know the payment before you apply.
3. Get several pre-qualifications and compare APR side by side before choosing.
4. Confirm the lender holds a West Virginia licence by checking the regulator named above.
5. Do not borrow more than the expense calls for, even if a lender approves a larger amount.
6. Decide the purpose and how you will repay it before approaching any lender.
7. If debt is already a struggle, talk to a nonprofit credit counsellor before borrowing more.

The process is identical across West Virginia; what changes is your credit file, not the fact that Clay holds 375 people.

West Virginia consumer-lending rules applied in Clay

For the roughly 375 residents of Clay, the rules below are West Virginia's own; each row carries its publisher and retrieval date.

Clay's place among West Virginia's 230 places

Clay is the 169th-largest of 230 Census places in West Virginia and contains about 0.1% of the state's people. For population change between 2020 and 2023, Clay ranks 196th of 230 in West Virginia (about the 15th percentile). By density, at about 672 people per square mile, it ranks 167th in West Virginia. Between 2020 and 2023 the count changed by roughly 21 residents.