Personal loans in Lakewood, CO
Two households in Lakewood, Colorado with comparable incomes can still be offered different rates, because each lender weighs a credit file its own way. About 155,961 people live in Lakewood, placing it 5th of 270 Census places in Colorado. The city's population held flat through the 2020-to-2023 comparison. State law, rather than federal rules alone, supplies Colorado's rate caps and licensing requirements. Begin with the payment, then weigh APR and total interest across lenders. The nearest larger city is Denver, CO about 13 miles away.
Borrowing in Lakewood: the local picture
Here is the sourced Census picture for Lakewood, plus the Colorado lending rules that apply to a loan taken out here.
- Population: 155,961 — Lakewood ranks 5th of 270 communities in Colorado (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- Population trend: Steady across the 2020-to-2023 comparison.
- Size percentile: roughly 98% of Colorado places rank below it.
- Location: latitude 39.6989, longitude -105.1176 (Census Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Denver (13 mi); Aurora (21 mi); Fort Collins (59 mi); Colorado Springs (61 mi). Any of them may have more branches, but statewide rules and your credit still set the price.
- Smaller places nearby: Edgewater (5 mi); Wheat Ridge (5 mi); Golden (6 mi).
What Colorado law requires in Lakewood
The rows below set out what a licensed lender must follow in Colorado, and so in Lakewood.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Supervised lender license required from the UCCC Administrator (master license required for more than one place of business); deferred deposit lenders must hold a supervised lender's license Source says: "if a supervised lender has more than one place of business, they must obtain a master license"; "no person shall engage in the business of deferred deposit loans without having first obtained a supervised lender's license" (C.R.S. § 5-3.1-116). | Colorado Attorney General — Uniform Consumer Credit Code licensing as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Colorado Attorney General's Office — Consumer Credit Unit (Administrator of the Uniform Consumer Credit Code) Source says: "The Consumer Credit Unit regulates (through licensure/registration programs) companies and individuals involved in consumer lending"; it "licenses non-bank lenders such as finance companies and payday lenders". | Colorado Attorney General — Consumer Protection Section as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | UCCC finance-charge ceilings: 12% per year on non-supervised consumer loans; supervised loans 36% on the first $1,000, 21% on $1,000–$3,000, 15% above $3,000 (or 21% flat); 21% on revolving accounts Source says: "not exceeding twelve percent per year on the unpaid balance of the amount financed"; "Thirty-six percent per year on that part of the unpaid balances of the amount financed that is one thousand dollars or less"; "Twenty-one percent per year on the unpaid balances of the amount financed". | Colorado General Assembly — C.R.S. § 5-2-201 (Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 5) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted but capped at 36% APR (Proposition 111, effective February 1, 2019) Source says: "a finance charge for each deferred deposit loan or payday loan that must not exceed an annual percentage rate of thirty-six percent". | Colorado General Assembly — C.R.S. § 5-3.1-105 (Deferred Deposit Loan Act) as of 2026-09-16 |
What a Lakewood personal loan looks like
When you apply for a personal loan in Lakewood, most lenders start with pre-qualification, which uses a soft credit pull and leaves your score alone. The familiar mistake is to move a card balance into a personal loan and then run the cards back up, which doubles the debt instead of clearing it. Deal only with a lender licensed in Colorado, which you can check with the regulator named below.
A pre-application checklist for Lakewood
Before you apply in Lakewood, 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 Colorado licence by checking the regulator named above.
- Check that the monthly payment fits your budget next to your existing obligations.
Common questions
What are my options in Lakewood if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Lakewood?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Lakewood?
Does comparing loans in Lakewood cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Wheat Ridge, CO — population 31,804
- Edgewater, CO — population 4,882
- Mountain View, CO — population 519
- Bow Mar, CO — population 823
- Lakeside, CO — population 16
- Golden, CO — population 20,242
- Morrison, CO — population 388
- Sheridan, CO — population 5,908