Wooster at a glance
- Population: the Census estimates 27,030 residents, ranking 55th of 924 places in Ohio (Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 27,246 people counted in the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: about 0.8% lower than the 2020 Census base (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Ohio places: 55th out of 924 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 94% of Ohio's Census places are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 40.8191, longitude -81.9316 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Massillon, OH (21 mi); Green, OH (26 mi); Akron, OH (28 mi); Canton, OH (30 mi); Brunswick, OH (30 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Nearest smaller towns: Smithville, OH (5 mi); Apple Creek, OH (7 mi); Orrville, OH (8 mi) — US Census Bureau populations.
What a personal loan costs in Wooster
A personal loan gives you the full amount at once and spreads repayment over a set number of months at a fixed payment.
The APR is the comparable price of a loan since it folds in fees; model any offer with the personal loan calculator first.
The offer you receive reflects the lender's read of your credit, income and debts, and the term controls the balance between payment size and total interest.
Shop with more than one lender and treat pre-qualification as an estimate, since the final terms follow a full application.
Ohio lending rules that apply in Wooster
The Ohio rate caps and licensing rules that reach Wooster are listed below, each with its source and retrieval date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Wooster
Before you share your details with a lender in Wooster:
- 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 Ohio using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.