Bath at a glance
- Population: 8,844, the 13th-largest community in Maine out of 23 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 8,767 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: population rose about 0.9% (US Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimate vs 2020 Census).
- Rank among Maine places: 13th-largest of 23 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: larger than about 43% of the Census places in Maine (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 43.9325, -69.8472 (Census Gazetteer, US Census Bureau).
- Nearest larger cities: Lewiston, ME (19 mi); Auburn, ME (23 mi); Portland, ME (27 mi); Augusta, ME (28 mi); Westbrook, ME (30 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Nearest smaller communities: Gardiner, ME (18 mi); Hallowell, ME (25 mi); Rockland, ME (38 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Bath
Personal loans are closed-end installment debt, so the monthly payment and the payoff date are known from the start.
The APR is the comparable price of a loan since it folds in fees; model any offer with the personal loan calculator first.
Lenders weigh your credit history, income and debts when they set the rate, and the term you choose then determines how that rate compounds into total cost.
A useful rule is to keep the new payment inside the room your budget already has, so the loan eases pressure instead of adding to it.
Maine lending rules that apply in Bath
Each row below is a Maine rule with its publisher and the date it was retrieved.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Payday lending status | Payday lenders are licensed as supervised lenders by the BCCP and subject to the 9-A § 2-401 finance-charge caps Source says: "Supervised Lenders Including Mortgage Lenders and Servicers, Non-Mortgage Supervised Lenders, Payday Lenders, and Insurance Premium Finance Companies" | Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Supervised lender license required when the finance charge exceeds 12 1/4% per year (or the loan is secured by real estate); applications via NMLS Source says: "Anyone who makes, takes assignment of, or services consumer loans in which the rate of the finance charge ... exceeds 12 1/4% per year" | Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection (Department of Professional and Financial Regulation) Source says: "The Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection licenses and registers the following business entities" | Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection as of 2026-09-16 |
| Minimum finance charge for supervised lenders | $5 (loans ≤$75), $15 ($75–<$250), $25 (≥$250) — 9-A M.R.S. § 2-401(7) Source says: "the lender may contract for and receive a minimum charge of not more than ... Twenty-five dollars when the amount financed is $250 or more" | Maine Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 30% per year on unpaid balances up to $2,000; 24% on $2,000–$4,000; 18% above $4,000 (9-A M.R.S. § 2-401(2)) Source says: "30% per year on that part of the unpaid balances of the amount financed that is $2,000 or less" | Maine Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Bath
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Bath:
- Pull your free credit reports and dispute any error — it is the cheapest way to improve the rate you are offered.
- Run your figures through the personal loan calculator on this site so you know the payment before a lender quotes one.
- Pre-qualify with at least three lenders and compare the APR, not the interest rate.
- Check that the lender is licensed in Maine using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.