Personal loans in Prospect, PA
Census figures put the 2020-to-2023 decrease in Prospect at about 2.7%. A lender serving Prospect holds a Pennsylvania licence and answers to a Pennsylvania regulator; no city office is involved for its 1,091 residents. An estimated 1,091 people make their home in Prospect, a figure that ranks 580th in Pennsylvania. For a bigger market, look to Butler, PA about 8 miles away. When Pennsylvania caps or restricts a product, lenders either change the terms or withdraw it from Prospect as from the rest of the state. Get pre-qualified with several lenders, then compare APR rather than the headline rate for a Prospect loan.
Borrowing in Prospect: the local picture
Most of what governs a Prospect loan is written in Pennsylvania law rather than in the city; the sourced notes below make that split concrete.
- Population: an estimated 1,091 residents, 580th of 1,013 places in Pennsylvania (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- Population trend: About 2.7% below the 2020 Census base.
- Change in people: the 2020-to-2023 comparison is a loss of about 30 residents.
- Size percentile: roughly 43% of Pennsylvania places rank below Prospect.
- Population density: about 267 people per square mile across 4.1 square miles of land (Census Gazetteer area, Vintage 2023 population).
- By land area: Prospect ranks 84th among Pennsylvania's 1,013 places, at 4.1 sq mi.
- State share: roughly 0.0% of Pennsylvania's residents live in Prospect (1,091 people).
- Nationally: Prospect is the 9,881st-largest of 19,457 Census places in the dataset.
- Growth rank: Prospect ranks 838th among Pennsylvania's 1,013 places for the 2020-to-2023 change.
- Versus Pennsylvania: the state average change is -0.9%, while Prospect moved 2.7%.
- Density in Pennsylvania: Prospect ranks 932nd by people per square mile.
- Against the state median: Prospect runs about 267 residents per square mile, where the Pennsylvania median is 1,990.
- Location: 40.8992, -80.0486 (Census Gazetteer coordinates).
- Nearest larger cities: Butler (8 mi); Evans City (9 mi); Zelienople (9 mi); Slippery Rock (12 mi); Ellwood City (13 mi). Lenders licensed in the state serve Prospect whether or not they keep a local branch.
- Smaller communities within reach: Portersville (5 mi); Connoquenessing (6 mi); West Liberty (8 mi).
- Smaller places within 50 miles: 126 of them.
- Within 100 miles: 413 places are larger than Prospect.
Where Prospect sits
Prospect's land area is roughly 4.1 square miles, and the Gazetteer records no significant water area within it. With 1,091 residents, the land area yields roughly 267 people per square mile. The state's population centre of gravity, Philadelphia, is roughly 266 miles away. Counting outward 50 miles, 168 larger communities surround Prospect. The 100-mile radius contains 413 larger places.
Pennsylvania rules behind a Prospect personal loan
Every row below records a Pennsylvania rule, its publisher and its retrieval date — the same rules a Prospect lender must follow.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
Steps to take before a Prospect loan
A sensible order of operations for a loan in Prospect, home to about 1,091 people:
- Order your free credit reports and dispute anything inaccurate — it is the cheapest way to move the rate you are offered.
- Run the numbers on the personal loan calculator so you know the payment before you apply.
- Line up several pre-qualified offers and let the APR decide.
- Check the Pennsylvania regulator's records to confirm the lender is licensed here.
- Write down the purpose of the loan and your repayment plan before you apply.
- When debt already feels heavy, a nonprofit credit counsellor is worth a call first.
- Read the disclosure for an origination fee and any prepayment penalty before signing.
In Prospect as elsewhere in Pennsylvania, the written terms — not the advertisement — are what count for its 1,091 residents.
What a Prospect borrower is actually offered
In Prospect, a small community of about 1,091, the amount is advanced up front and repaid in fixed installments; the city's size does not change the pricing. A lender serving Prospect's 1,091 residents must disclose the APR and finance charge in writing before you sign. A longer term lowers the monthly payment on a Prospect loan but raises total interest, so the smallest payment is not the cheapest loan.
Prospect's place among Pennsylvania's 1,013 places
Within Pennsylvania, Prospect holds roughly 0.0% of all residents, the 580th-largest share among 1,013 places. For population change between 2020 and 2023, Prospect ranks 838th of 1,013 in Pennsylvania (about the 17th percentile). At about 267 people per square mile, Prospect is the 932nd most densely settled place in Pennsylvania. In land area, Prospect ranks 84th among Pennsylvania's 1,013 places.
Common questions
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Nearby places
- Connoquenessing, PA — population 755
- Portersville, PA — population 224
- West Liberty, PA — population 323
- Harmony, PA — population 926
- Evans City, PA — population 1,689
- Zelienople, PA — population 3,791
- Butler, PA — population 13,099
- Callery, PA — population 349