Personal loans in Deer Lodge, MT
With an estimated 3,030 residents, Deer Lodge is the 25th-largest of 127 places in Montana. A lender serving Deer Lodge holds a Montana licence and answers to a Montana regulator; no city office is involved for its 3,030 residents. Census data show virtually no population shift in Deer Lodge between 2020 and 2023. Compare APR, not the interest rate, because the APR folds in most fees on a Deer Lodge loan. To lend to Deer Lodge's 3,030 residents, a company must hold a Montana licence, and each sourced row below names the regulator behind it. The next larger city is Anaconda-Deer Lodge, MT about 29 miles away.
Deer Lodge: the sourced local profile
Deer Lodge is a small community; the notes below cover its population profile and the statewide rules that apply.
- Population: the Census counts 3,030 residents in Deer Lodge (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 25th-largest figure among Montana's 127 places.
- Population trend: No meaningful shift since the 2020 count.
- Size percentile: about 80% of Montana communities are smaller than Deer Lodge (3,030 residents).
- Population density: about 1,952 people per square mile across 1.6 square miles of land (Census Gazetteer area, Vintage 2023 population).
- Land area: Deer Lodge covers 1.6 square miles, the 33rd-largest area among Montana's 127 places.
- Share of Montana: Deer Lodge holds about 0.5% of the state's population, some 3,030 people.
- National rank: Deer Lodge is the 6,254th most populous of the 19,457 Census places covered here.
- Growth in Montana: Deer Lodge stands 83rd by percentage change from 2020 to 2023, among 127 places.
- Versus Montana: the state average change is +3.8%, while Deer Lodge moved 0.0%.
- Density in Montana: Deer Lodge ranks 23rd by people per square mile.
- Against the state median: Deer Lodge runs about 1,952 residents per square mile, where the Montana median is 1,071.
- Location: 46.3983, -112.7333 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Anaconda-Deer Lodge (29 mi); Helena (37 mi); Hamilton (69 mi); Missoula (70 mi); Dillon (82 mi). Larger metros often have more branches, but online lenders reach Deer Lodge on the same terms.
- Nearest smaller towns: Walkerville (27 mi); Drummond (27 mi); Philipsburg (27 mi) — useful context for the surrounding area.
- Smaller neighbours: 6 places smaller than Deer Lodge sit within 50 miles.
- Larger places within 100 miles: 7.
The anatomy of a Deer Lodge personal loan
In Deer Lodge, a small community of about 3,030, the amount is advanced up front and repaid in fixed installments; the city's size does not change the pricing. A lender serving Deer Lodge's 3,030 residents must disclose the APR and finance charge in writing before you sign. The term you choose in Deer Lodge decides the split between a comfortable payment and the total interest you pay.
The Montana lending rules that reach Deer Lodge
Every row below records a Montana rule, its publisher and its retrieval date — the same rules a Deer Lodge lender must follow.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions (BFID), Department of Administration Source says: "The Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions (Division) does all of its licensing through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)." | Montana Department of Administration, Division of Banking and Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal; deferred deposit lenders must be licensed; fee capped at 36% per annum Source says: "A licensee may not charge a fee for making or carrying each deferred deposit loan authorized by this part that exceeds 36% per annum" | Montana Legislative Services Division (Montana Code Annotated) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer loan license required under the Montana Consumer Loan Act (32-5-101); licensing through NMLS Source says: "A consumer loan license is needed to engage in business as defined in the Montana Consumer Loan Act" | Montana Department of Administration, Division of Banking and Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
What to do before borrowing in Deer Lodge
A sensible order of operations for a loan in Deer Lodge, home to about 3,030 people:
- Start with the credit file: order the reports, fix the errors, then apply.
- Model the payment on the calculator before a lender models it for you.
- Gather at least three pre-qualified offers and line up the APR, not the headline rate.
- Look the lender up in the Montana regulator's licence records before you sign.
- Be clear on what the loan is for and how it gets repaid.
- If debt is already a struggle, talk to a nonprofit credit counsellor before borrowing more.
- Check the disclosure for fees that raise the true cost above the quoted rate.
The process is identical across Montana; what changes is your credit file, not the fact that Deer Lodge holds 3,030 people.
Deer Lodge against the rest of Montana
Set beside Montana's 127 places, Deer Lodge ranks 25th by population and holds about 0.5% of the state total. Its 2020-to-2023 change ranks 83rd of 127 Montana places, putting it near the 35th percentile for growth. By density, at about 1,952 people per square mile, it ranks 23rd in Montana. Between 2020 and 2023 the count changed by roughly 0 residents.
Land, water and location for Deer Lodge
The Census Gazetteer records about 1.6 square miles of land within Deer Lodge, with no significant water area listed. The resulting density is about 1,952 people per square mile. The largest place in Montana, Billings, lies about 205 miles away. Counting outward 50 miles, 2 larger communities surround Deer Lodge. The 100-mile radius contains 7 larger places.
Common questions
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Nearby places
- Walkerville, MT — population 659
- Drummond, MT — population 296
- Anaconda-Deer Lodge, MT — population 9,673
- Philipsburg, MT — population 910
- Boulder, MT — population 1,283
- Helena, MT — population 34,464
- Whitehall, MT — population 1,080
- East Helena, MT — population 2,138