Personal loans in Smithville, OH
When you compare personal loans in Smithville, Ohio, the figure to hold side by side is the APR, not the advertised rate. Smithville is one of 924 Census places in Ohio; its 1,333 residents put it at 472nd. Smithville lost roughly 0.5% of its population across the 2020-to-2023 comparison. State law, rather than federal rules alone, supplies Ohio's rate caps and licensing requirements. If debt is already a strain, a nonprofit credit counsellor can help before you take on more. The closest larger city is Orrville, OH about 4 miles away.
Borrowing in Smithville: the local picture
Only a few things actually differ by place — population, location, and the Ohio rules a lender must follow — and they are below.
- Population: about 1,333 people live here, which puts Smithville 472nd of 924 Census places in Ohio (Vintage 2023).
- Population trend: About 0.5% below the 2020 Census base.
- Size percentile: it is larger than about 49% of Ohio's Census places.
- Location: 40.8625, -81.8605 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Orrville (4 mi); Wooster (5 mi); Creston (8 mi); Rittman (9 mi); Dalton (9 mi). For most borrowers the comparison happens online, not at a branch.
- Smaller places nearby: Marshallville (7 mi); Apple Creek (8 mi); Burbank (11 mi).
What Ohio law requires in Smithville
Read the table as a lender's compliance picture for Smithville: the rule, the sourced figure, the publisher and the date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Payday lending status | Legal for licensed short-term lenders; interest capped at 28% per annum; total fees and charges capped at 60% of the originally contracted loan amount. Source says: "(A) Interest not exceeding a rate of twenty-eight per cent per annum" (Ohio Rev. Code 1321.40); total fees/charges capped at "a total amount of fees and charges that exceeds sixty per cent of the originally contracted loan amount" (1321.403). | Ohio Laws (Ohio Revised Code - official state publication) 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 |
| 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 |
What a Smithville personal loan looks like
Two numbers drive a Smithville personal loan: the APR, which includes fees, and the term, which decides how long you keep paying. Deciding what the loan is for, and what you will do differently afterward, matters more than the headline rate. The rate you see advertised is a range, not a promise, until a lender reviews your file.
A pre-application checklist for Smithville
Work through this short checklist before committing to a personal loan in Smithville:
- 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 Ohio licence by checking the regulator named above.
- Do not borrow more than the expense calls for, even if a lender approves a larger amount.
Common questions
What are my options in Smithville if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Smithville?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Smithville?
Does comparing loans in Smithville cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Wooster, OH — population 27,030
- Orrville, OH — population 8,422
- Apple Creek, OH — population 1,183
- Creston, OH — population 2,138
- Marshallville, OH — population 790
- Rittman, OH — population 6,105
- Seville, OH — population 2,366
- Dalton, OH — population 1,924