Personal loans in The Dalles, OR
A personal loan taken out in The Dalles, Oregon is priced from your credit file and your income, not from your address. The Census puts The Dalles's population at about 15,786, which ranks it 37th among the 240 places in Oregon. Census figures put the 2020-to-2023 decrease at about 1.5%. A lender that serves Oregon operates under that state's lending statutes and its own supervisor. Use the calculator on this page to price an amount and term before you commit. The next larger city is Washougal, WA about 58 miles away.
Borrowing in The Dalles: the local picture
Read the local figures below as context; read the sourced Oregon table as the rulebook a lender here must follow.
- Population: 15,786 people, a figure that places The Dalles 37th among the 240 Census places in Oregon (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- Population trend: The 2020-to-2023 change is negative, near 1.5%.
- Size percentile: by population it outranks roughly 85% of the places in Oregon.
- Location: it lies at 45.5984, -121.1524 in the Census Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Washougal (58 mi); Camas (62 mi); Gresham (63 mi); Happy Valley (67 mi); Battle Ground (68 mi). Living near a larger metro rarely changes what is available in The Dalles.
- Nearest smaller towns: Dufur (10 mi); Mosier (13 mi); Bingen (17 mi).
What Oregon law requires in The Dalles
This table holds the Oregon rate and licensing rules for consumer loans made in The Dalles.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (Department of Consumer and Business Services) Source says: "Protecting Oregonians' access to fair products and services through education, regulation, and consumer assistance." | Oregon Division of Financial Regulation as of 2026-09-16 |
| Unlicensed lending consequence (state-specific rule) | Unlicensed consumer finance loans are void and uncollectible (principal, interest, fees). Source says: "the consumer finance loan is void... may not... collect, receive or retain principal, interest, a fee or a charge related to... the consumer finance loan" (ORS 725.045(1)(b)). | Oregon Legislative Assembly (Oregon Revised Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 9% per annum default legal rate where the parties have not agreed to a rate. Source says: "The rate of interest for the following transactions, if the parties have not otherwise agreed to a rate of interest, is nine percent per annum" (ORS 82.010(1)). | Oregon Legislative Assembly (Oregon Revised Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal for licensed payday/title lenders; term 31-60 days; one-time 10% origination fee capped at $30; interest limited to 36%/yr; max APR 153.77%. Source says: "Interest rates are limited to 36 percent annually. The maximum APR (interest and fees) is 153.77 percent"; "A one-time 10 percent loan origination fee, up to a maximum of $30 for a new loan"; "The payday or title loan must be for at least 31 days and not longer than 60 days." | Oregon Division of Financial Regulation as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer finance license required to make consumer finance loans of $50,000 or less; license issued by the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services. Source says: "a consumer finance loan of $50,000 or less... unless the person first obtains a license under this chapter" (ORS 725.045). | Oregon Legislative Assembly (Oregon Revised Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
What a The Dalles personal loan looks like
Most personal loans made to The Dalles residents are unsecured, so no collateral is pledged and the lender leans on your credit history. Most scoring models treat rate-shopping within a focused window as one inquiry, so comparing offers early is usually safe. If the numbers do not work at a comfortable payment, the right answer may be not to borrow at all.
A pre-application checklist for The Dalles
Before you sign anything in The Dalles, run through this list:
- 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 Oregon 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 The Dalles if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in The Dalles?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in The Dalles?
Does comparing loans in The Dalles cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Dufur, OR — population 631
- Mosier, OR — population 463
- Bingen, WA — population 774
- White Salmon, WA — population 2,583
- Hood River, OR — population 8,346
- Goldendale, WA — population 3,473
- Rufus, OR — population 277
- Maupin, OR — population 418