Personal loans in St. Clair, PA
If you are considering a personal loan in St. Clair, Pennsylvania, begin with the monthly payment you can carry and work backward. The Census puts St. Clair's population at about 2,756, which ranks it 348th among the 1,013 places in Pennsylvania. The 2020 count to the 2023 estimate shows about 0.4% growth. Pennsylvania runs its own consumer-lending licensing through a state agency, and the sourced table on this page lists the figures that apply. Get pre-qualified with several lenders, then compare APR rather than the headline rate. Borrowers who want a bigger city can look to Pottsville, PA about 3 miles away.
Borrowing in St. Clair: the local picture
Most of what governs a St. Clair loan is written in Pennsylvania law rather than in the city; the sourced notes below make that split concrete.
- Population: 2,756 — St. Clair ranks 348th of 1,013 communities in Pennsylvania (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- Population trend: About 0.4% above the 2020 Census base.
- Size percentile: roughly 66% of Pennsylvania's places have fewer residents.
- Location: 40.7211 / -76.1903, per the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Pottsville (3 mi); Minersville (4 mi); Frackville (5 mi); Orwigsburg (6 mi); Schuylkill Haven (6 mi). Any of them may have more branches, but statewide rules and your credit still set the price.
- Smaller communities within reach: Port Carbon (2 mi); Mechanicsville (2 mi); Palo Alto (3 mi).
What Pennsylvania law requires in St. Clair
These are Pennsylvania's sourced lending facts as they apply in St. Clair; the state has no separate city-level rate rule.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer Discount Company Act license required for non-mortgage consumer loans above 6%; licensed lenders may charge up to 24% on loans of $25,000 or less. Source says: "A consumer discount company is a business corporation that negotiates or makes non-mortgage loans or advances of money on credit." | Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities as of 2026-09-16 |
| 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 |
| Bank rate-cap exemption (state-specific rule) | Pennsylvania state-chartered banks are not subject to state interest-rate caps (Banking Code Sections 303/506 supersede the LIPL 6% cap). Source says: "Pennsylvania law does not impose any restrictions on the interest rate that Pennsylvania state-chartered banks may charge to customers." (DoBS interpretive letter, May 11, 2023). | 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 |
What a St. Clair personal loan looks like
Because a personal loan payment is fixed, the total cost is knowable in advance — the main difference from a credit card, where the balance revolves. Compare the APR rather than the interest rate, because origination fees and sometimes prepayment penalties are folded into it. Deal only with a lender licensed in Pennsylvania, which you can check with the regulator named below.
A pre-application checklist for St. Clair
A handful of practical steps will make borrowing in St. Clair less expensive:
- 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 Pennsylvania licence by checking the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for an origination fee and any prepayment penalty before signing.
Common questions
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Nearby places
- Mechanicsville, PA — population 459
- Port Carbon, PA — population 1,808
- Palo Alto, PA — population 971
- Pottsville, PA — population 13,355
- Mount Carbon, PA — population 90
- New Philadelphia, PA — population 1,065
- Frackville, PA — population 3,883
- Minersville, PA — population 4,400