Charlestown at a glance
- Population: about 8,460 residents, ranking 90th of 565 Census places in Indiana (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 7,776 people (US Census Bureau, 2020 Census count).
- 2020 to 2023 change: population rose about 8.8% (US Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimate vs 2020 Census).
- Rank among Indiana places: 90th largest of 565 (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 84% of Indiana's Census places are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 38.4298 / -85.6704, per the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities (120-mile radius): Sellersburg, IN (6 mi); Jeffersonville, IN (7 mi); Clarksville, IN (9 mi); New Albany, IN (12 mi); Lyndon, KY (12 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Smaller towns nearby: Goshen, KY (5 mi); River Bluff, KY (5 mi); Utica, IN (6 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Charlestown
A personal loan hands you a single sum and a repayment schedule of equal monthly installments over an agreed term.
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.
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.
Pre-qualification is a good first filter: it shows the rate and amount a lender may offer before you agree to a full application and a hard inquiry.
Indiana lending rules that apply in Charlestown
The table carries the Indiana rate and licensing rules that apply to consumer loans made in Charlestown.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Small Loan License required (IUCCC; separate Consumer Loan License for IC 24-4.5-3 loans) Source says: "unless a person is a supervised financial organization or has first obtained a small loan license from the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI)". | Indiana Department of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Indiana Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), Consumer Credit Division Source says: "The industries regulated by the Consumer Credit Division are: non-depository small loan ("payday") lenders; traditional installment lenders". | Indiana Department of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan size limit | $825 maximum aggregate small-loan principal per borrower Source says: "Lenders cannot have loans ... outstanding with you at any one time if the aggregate principal amount/amount financed exceeds $825". | Indiana Department of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | See the latest published figure value_text left null: Indiana Code IC 24-4.5-3-508 sets tiered maximum loan finance charges for supervised loans; the official code site renders client-side and the figure could not be confirmed from a fetched page, so no figure is asserted. | Indiana General Assembly (Indiana Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted under license (small loans); finance charges capped at 15% of the first $250 (tiered above) Source says: "Finance charges on the first $250 of a small loan are limited to 15% of the principal". | Indiana Department of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Charlestown
Here is a short checklist for comparing personal loans in Charlestown:
- 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 Indiana using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.