Basalt at a glance
- Population: roughly 371 people; 142nd of 197 places in Idaho (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 355 people (US Census Bureau, 2020 Census count).
- 2020 to 2023 change: an increase of about 4.5% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Idaho places: 142nd-largest of 197 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: it exceeds roughly 28% of Idaho's Census places by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: mapped at 43.3144, -112.1650 by the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities within 120 miles: Firth, ID (1 mi); Shelley, ID (5 mi); Blackfoot, ID (12 mi); Idaho Falls, ID (14 mi); Ammon, ID (15 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Nearest smaller communities: Mud Lake, ID (40 mi); Swan Valley, ID (43 mi); Bancroft, ID (43 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Basalt
The defining feature of a personal loan is the fixed installment: the same payment every month until the term ends.
Compare every quote on APR because it includes the fees the interest rate hides, and check the payment with our personal loan calculator.
Because interest accrues for longer, a longer term means a lower installment and a higher total cost — decide which matters more to you.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Idaho lending rules that apply in Basalt
Where a figure is not published by the state, the row points to the source instead of guessing.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Regulated Lenders License required (regulated consumer loans) Source says: "unless a person is exempt ... he shall not engage in the business of: (a) Making regulated consumer loans". | Idaho State Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Idaho Department of Finance (IDOF) Source says: "Safeguarding the financial health of Idahoans through the appropriate oversight of diverse financial institutions, the education and protection of consumers". | Idaho Department of Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Idaho Credit Code finance-charge rule | No statutory maximum finance-charge rate — rate as agreed by the parties (Idaho Credit Code) Source says: "the rate of finance charge shall be that which is agreed upon between the parties to the transaction". | Idaho State Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 12% per annum legal rate (when no written contract fixes a different rate) Source says: "interest is allowed at the rate of twelve cents (12¢) on the hundred by the year". | Idaho State Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted under license (payday loan license required) Source says: "No person shall engage in the business of payday loans ... without having first obtained a license under this chapter". | Idaho State Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Basalt
Before you share your details with a lender in Basalt:
- 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 Idaho using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.