Holyoke at a glance
- Population: roughly 37,628 people; 38th of 54 places in Massachusetts (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 38,251 people counted in the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a decline of roughly 1.6% between the 2020 count and the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Massachusetts places: the 38th-largest of 54 (US Census Bureau, 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: it exceeds roughly 30% of Massachusetts's Census places by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 42.2117, longitude -72.6424 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Chicopee, MA (4 mi); Westfield, MA (8 mi); Springfield, MA (8 mi); Amherst Town, MA (13 mi); Hartford, CT (31 mi); US Census Bureau population estimates.
- Nearest smaller places: West Springfield Town, MA (6 mi); Northampton, MA (8 mi); Agawam Town, MA (10 mi) (US Census Bureau estimates).
What a personal loan costs in Holyoke
The defining feature of a personal loan is the fixed installment: the same payment every month until the term ends.
Two loans can share an interest rate and still differ in APR once fees are counted, so compare APR; our personal loan calculator shows the difference over the full term.
A lender weighs your credit profile, income and debts when setting the rate, and a longer term lowers the payment at the cost of more interest overall.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Massachusetts lending rules that apply in Holyoke
Every figure in the table below is sourced to a publisher with a date; where a state does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Payday lending status | Restricted: DOB states payday lending is not prohibited, but a 'payday loan' is illegal due to the high APR Source says: "Payday lending is not prohibited in Massachusetts. Yet what is referred to as a 'payday loan' is illegal" | Massachusetts Division of Banks as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Small-loan license required for loans of $6,000 or less when interest and expenses exceed 12% per year (M.G.L. c. 140, § 96) Source says: "No person shall directly or indirectly engage in the business of making loans of six thousand dollars or less ... without first obtaining ... a license" | Massachusetts General Court as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Division of Banks (Office of the Commissioner of Banks) Source says: "The Division of Banks (DOB) cautions you when applying for a payday loan" | Massachusetts Division of Banks as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan rate order | Maximum 23% per annum plus a $20 administrative fee (209 CMR 26.00/26.01) Source says: "Regulation 209 CMR 26.00 et seq. limits the annual interest rate that can be charged on small loans to 23%" | Massachusetts Division of Banks as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 20% per annum criminal-usury threshold (M.G.L. c. 271, § 49); statutory exceptions apply Source says: "interest and expenses the aggregate of which exceeds an amount greater than twenty per centum per annum upon the sum loaned" | Massachusetts General Court as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Holyoke
Run through this list before signing anything in Holyoke:
- 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 Massachusetts using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.