Personal loans in Garfield Heights, OH

The roughly 28,900 people who live in Garfield Heights borrow under Ohio rules; city hall sets no personal-loan rate. Roughly 28,900 residents live in Garfield Heights, the 50th-largest community in Ohio. Borrowers who want a bigger city can look to Cleveland, OH about 6 miles away. The 2020 count to the 2023 estimate shows about 3.0% decline in Garfield Heights. For the 28,900 people in Garfield Heights, Ohio runs its own consumer-lending licensing, and the sourced table below lists the figures that apply. Judge Garfield Heights offers on total cost, not on how quickly the money arrives.

By the Personalloaner Editorial Team · Last updated 2026-09-16

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Where Garfield Heights stands

What follows is Garfield Heights's place in the Census record, alongside the Ohio rules that govern a personal loan made here.

Population: about 28,900 people live here, which puts Garfield Heights 50th of 924 Census places in Ohio (Vintage 2023).
Population trend: Roughly 3.0% fewer residents than the 2020 Census counted.
Absolute change: 890 residents lost between 2020 and 2023.
Size percentile: roughly 95% of Ohio places rank below Garfield Heights.
Population density: 3,997 people per square mile on 7.2 square miles of land.
Land area: Garfield Heights covers 7.2 square miles, the 146th-largest area among Ohio's 924 places.
Water area: Garfield Heights has 0.06 square miles of water, ranking 203rd of 924 places in Ohio.
Share of Ohio: Garfield Heights holds about 0.4% of the state's population, some 28,900 people.
National rank: Garfield Heights is the 1,357th most populous of the 19,457 Census places covered here.
Growth rank: Garfield Heights ranks 876th among Ohio's 924 places for the 2020-to-2023 change.
Versus Ohio: the state average change is +0.9%, while Garfield Heights moved 3.0%.
Density in Ohio: Garfield Heights ranks 30th by people per square mile.
Against the state median: Garfield Heights runs about 3,997 residents per square mile, where the Ohio median is 1,289.
Location: 41.4186 / -81.6051, per the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
Nearest larger cities: Cleveland (6 mi); Cleveland Heights (7 mi); Parma (7 mi); North Royalton (10 mi); Lakewood (11 mi). Any of them may have more branches, but statewide rules and your credit still set the price.
Smaller communities close by: Maple Heights (2 mi); Valley View (3 mi); Cuyahoga Heights (3 mi), each with its own Census population profile.
Smaller places within 50 miles: 160 of them.
At 100 miles: 28 larger Census places fall inside that radius.

Land, water and location for Garfield Heights

Garfield Heights covers about 7.2 square miles of land, with 0.06 square miles of water inside its boundaries (Census Gazetteer). That land carries about 3,997 people per square mile. The largest place in Ohio, Columbus, lies about 123 miles away. Counting outward 50 miles, 20 larger communities surround Garfield Heights. By land area it ranks 146th of 924 Ohio places.

Garfield Heights in state context

Among Ohio's 924 places, Garfield Heights sits at 50th for population, a share of roughly 0.4% of the state. Its 2020-to-2023 change ranks 876th of 924 Ohio places, putting it near the 5th percentile for growth. Its roughly 3,997 residents per square mile place it 30th among Ohio's places. Between 2020 and 2023 the count changed by roughly 890 residents.

What Ohio law requires in Garfield Heights

Below are the Ohio rules that apply to a loan made in Garfield Heights, each with the regulator that issued it.

Rule	Detail	Source
State lending regulator	Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Financial Institutions (Consumer Finance Section). Source says: "The Consumer Finance Section is responsible for regulating non-depository consumer lenders and related consumer finance businesses."	Ohio Department of Commerce - Division of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16
Small-loan / installment lender licensing	Consumer finance licenses required for non-depository lenders, including Consumer Installment Loan Act lenders, General Loan Law lenders, short-term lenders, and small loan lenders. Source says: "We issue and manage licenses for companies and individuals under multiple Ohio statutes." (page's regulated-statutes list names Consumer Installment Loan Act lenders, General Loan Law lenders, Short-term lenders, Small loan lenders).	Ohio Department of Commerce - Division of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16
Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap)	8% per annum maximum by written agreement for the general case; higher rates permitted only in specified cases (e.g., principal over $100,000, business loans, certain mortgages). Source says: "may stipulate therein for the payment of interest upon the amount thereof at any rate not exceeding eight per cent per annum payable annually" (Ohio Rev. Code 1343.01(A)). [codes.ohio.gov content retrieved via search-engine fetch of the official section; direct connections blocked from our network]	Ohio Laws (Ohio Revised Code - official state publication) as of 2026-09-16

What is available to Garfield Heights borrowers

Garfield Heights is fairly dense, with about 3,997 people per square mile and 20 larger places within 50 miles. A Ohio licence lets a lender serve Garfield Heights without a local office, so branch density does not change what its 28,900 residents are offered. The nearest bigger place is Cleveland, OH about 6 miles away.

Steps to take before a Garfield Heights loan

For Garfield Heights's roughly 28,900 residents, these are the steps that most influence the offer:

Start with the credit file: order the reports, fix the errors, then apply.
Use the loan calculator to test the payment on your intended amount and term.
Pre-qualify with three or more lenders, then compare the APR rather than the interest rate.
Check the Ohio regulator's records to confirm the lender is licensed here.
Weigh a shorter term's higher payment against the interest it saves.
Borrow only what the purpose requires, not the maximum you are offered.
Be clear on what the loan is for and how it gets repaid.

None of these steps is Garfield Heights-specific: the same Ohio licensing and disclosure rules reach all 28,900 residents.

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Common questions

What are my options in Garfield Heights if my credit is poor?

Borrowing is still possible, but expect a higher APR and a smaller approved amount. Lenders that accept lower scores hold statewide licences, so what is open to you in Garfield Heights is the same as anywhere in Ohio.

What loan size can I expect in Garfield Heights?

Most personal loans sit somewhere between $1,000 and $50,000, though the figure you are approved for turns on the lender, your income and your credit. Model the monthly payment first with our personal loan calculator.

Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Garfield Heights?

For an unsecured personal loan, no — there is nothing to pledge. A secured loan, such as home equity or one secured by a vehicle, does require collateral, and default puts that asset at risk.

Does comparing loans in Garfield Heights cost me credit score points?

Not during pre-qualification, which normally uses a soft pull and leaves your score alone. Submitting a full application triggers a hard inquiry, which can trim a few points briefly.

Nearby places

Valley View, OH — population 1,849
Maple Heights, OH — population 22,984
Independence, OH — population 7,481
Cuyahoga Heights, OH — population 554
Brooklyn Heights, OH — population 1,476
Newburgh Heights, OH — population 1,806
Walton Hills, OH — population 1,988
Bedford, OH — population 12,767