Buena Vista at a glance
- Population: roughly 3,080 people; 96th of 270 places in Colorado (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 count put the population at 2,853 (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a gain of roughly 8.0% between the 2020 count and the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Colorado places: 96th in population of 270 places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: roughly 64% of Colorado's places have fewer residents (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 38.8320, -106.1387 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Salida, CO (22 mi); Aspen, CO (45 mi); Breckenridge, CO (46 mi); Gunnison, CO (47 mi); Cañon City, CO (56 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Smaller places nearby: Poncha Springs, CO (22 mi); Pitkin, CO (25 mi); Fairplay, CO (28 mi), per US Census Bureau estimates.
What a personal loan costs in Buena Vista
Personal loans are closed-end installment debt, so the monthly payment and the payoff date are known from the start.
The number to compare is the APR, not the interest rate, because the APR folds in origination fees and other charges; our personal loan calculator will show what a given amount and term would cost.
Your credit, income and existing debts drive the rate a lender offers, while the term you pick sets how much interest builds on top.
A payment that strains the budget is a warning sign; a smaller loan or a little more saving time is the safer route.
Colorado lending rules that apply in Buena Vista
The Colorado rate caps and licensing rules that reach Buena Vista are listed below, each with its source and retrieval date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Buena Vista
The order below is a sensible way to approach a loan in Buena Vista:
- 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.