Arvada at a glance
- Population: a Census-estimated 121,414, placing it 7th among Colorado's 270 places (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 124,343 people (US Census Bureau, 2020 Census count).
- 2020 to 2023 change: down about 2.4% from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Colorado places: the 7th-largest of 270 (US Census Bureau, 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: about 97% of places in Colorado are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 39.8337 / -105.1503, per the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities (within 120 miles): Lakewood, CO (9 mi); Thornton, CO (13 mi); Denver, CO (15 mi); Aurora, CO (24 mi); Fort Collins, CO (50 mi) (US Census Bureau populations).
- Nearest smaller places: Wheat Ridge, CO (5 mi); Westminster, CO (6 mi); Lakeside, CO (6 mi) (US Census Bureau estimates).
What a personal loan costs in Arvada
Personal loans are closed-end installment debt, so the monthly payment and the payoff date are known from the start.
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.
Colorado lending rules that apply in Arvada
Each row below is a Colorado rule with its publisher and the date it was retrieved.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Supervised lender license required from the UCCC Administrator (master license required for more than one place of business); deferred deposit lenders must hold a supervised lender's license Source says: "if a supervised lender has more than one place of business, they must obtain a master license"; "no person shall engage in the business of deferred deposit loans without having first obtained a supervised lender's license" (C.R.S. § 5-3.1-116). | Colorado Attorney General — Uniform Consumer Credit Code licensing as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Colorado Attorney General's Office — Consumer Credit Unit (Administrator of the Uniform Consumer Credit Code) Source says: "The Consumer Credit Unit regulates (through licensure/registration programs) companies and individuals involved in consumer lending"; it "licenses non-bank lenders such as finance companies and payday lenders". | Colorado Attorney General — Consumer Protection Section as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | UCCC finance-charge ceilings: 12% per year on non-supervised consumer loans; supervised loans 36% on the first $1,000, 21% on $1,000–$3,000, 15% above $3,000 (or 21% flat); 21% on revolving accounts Source says: "not exceeding twelve percent per year on the unpaid balance of the amount financed"; "Thirty-six percent per year on that part of the unpaid balances of the amount financed that is one thousand dollars or less"; "Twenty-one percent per year on the unpaid balances of the amount financed". | Colorado General Assembly — C.R.S. § 5-2-201 (Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 5) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted but capped at 36% APR (Proposition 111, effective February 1, 2019) Source says: "a finance charge for each deferred deposit loan or payday loan that must not exceed an annual percentage rate of thirty-six percent". | Colorado General Assembly — C.R.S. § 5-3.1-105 (Deferred Deposit Loan Act) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Arvada
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Arvada:
- 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 Colorado using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.