Fort Gaines at a glance
- Population: about 982, 302nd by size in Georgia of 536 places (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 count put the population at 992 (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: down about 1.0% from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Georgia places: 302nd by size among 536 communities (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: ahead of around 44% of Georgia places in population terms (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: it sits at 31.6259, -85.0587 in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Abbeville, AL (13 mi); Georgetown-Quitman County, GA (17 mi); Cuthbert, GA (19 mi); Blakely, GA (19 mi); Edison, GA (19 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Nearest smaller places: Bluffton, GA (13 mi); Haleburg, AL (16 mi); Bakerhill, AL (17 mi) (US Census Bureau estimates).
What a personal loan costs in Fort Gaines
Personal loans are installment credit — one lump sum, repaid in equal monthly installments across a fixed term you agree to up front.
The APR is the comparable price of a loan since it folds in fees; model any offer with the personal loan calculator first.
Choosing a longer term eases the monthly budget but adds interest over the life of the loan; a shorter term costs more per month and less overall.
A useful rule is to keep the new payment inside the room your budget already has, so the loan eases pressure instead of adding to it.
Georgia lending rules that apply in Fort Gaines
The sourced rows below are the rules a licensed lender must follow when lending in Georgia, and therefore in Fort Gaines.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Installment lender license required for loans of $3,000 or less Source says: "any entity making loans of $3,000.00 or less to individuals must be licensed with the Department as an installment lender". | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (DBF) Source says: "The Non-depository division supervises mortgage lenders, mortgage brokers, and mortgage loan originators, as well as installment lenders, check cashers, and money transmitters". | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Installment Loan Act rate cap | 10% per annum of the face amount of the contract (licensed installment loans) Source says: "may charge interest at a rate not to exceed 10 percent per annum of the face amount of the contract". | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | See the latest published figure value_text left null: Georgia's rate ceilings are set by O.C.G.A. Title 7, Chapter 4 (O.C.G.A. §§ 7-4-1 to 7-4-21); the Department of Banking and Finance does not publish the figure and the official code host could not be fetched, so no figure is asserted. | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Prohibited (payday lending illegal in Georgia) Source says: "Payday lending is illegal in Georgia." | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Fort Gaines
The order below is a sensible way to approach a loan in Fort Gaines:
- 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 Georgia using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.