Clay Center at a glance
- Population: 728, the 151st-largest community in Nebraska out of 527 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 725 people counted in the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: about 0.4% growth over the 2020 Census base (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Nebraska places: 151st of the state's 527 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 71% of places in Nebraska are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 40.5255, -98.0550 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Harvard, NE (7 mi); Sutton, NE (12 mi); Hastings, NE (18 mi); Henderson, NE (22 mi); Aurora, NE (24 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Smaller towns nearby: Fairfield, NE (7 mi); Saronville, NE (8 mi); Glenvil, NE (11 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Clay Center
The defining feature of a personal loan is the fixed installment: the same payment every month until the term ends.
Judge an offer by its APR, which blends the interest rate with fees, and use the personal loan calculator to see the total cost.
The term is the lever: extend it and the payment falls while total interest climbs; shorten it and the reverse happens.
Shop with more than one lender and treat pre-qualification as an estimate, since the final terms follow a full application.
Nebraska lending rules that apply in Clay Center
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Clay Center: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance (NDBF) Source says: "The Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance is a state agency under the direct supervision of the Governor." | Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Delayed deposit services (payday) licensing administration | NDBF publishes delayed deposit services license guidelines, statutes, and a licensed-business search Source says: "Delayed Deposit Services (Payday Lenders)" | Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 16% per annum maximum on agreed interest (unpaid principal balance) Source says: "any rate of interest which may be agreed upon, not exceeding sixteen percent per annum on the unpaid principal balance, shall be valid" | Nebraska Legislature (Nebraska Revised Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Capped at 36% APR (Initiative 428, 2020); violating transactions are void Source says: "A licensee shall not impose an annual percentage rate greater than thirty-six percent in connection with a delayed deposit transaction." | Nebraska Legislature (Nebraska Revised Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Delayed Deposit Services Licensing Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. 45-901 to 45-931) Source says: "Sections 45-901 to 45-931 shall be known and may be cited as the Delayed Deposit Services Licensing Act." | Nebraska Legislature (Nebraska Revised Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Clay Center
Before you share your details with a lender in Clay Center:
- 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 Nebraska using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.