Ghent at a glance
- Population: about 377 residents, ranking 547th of 853 Census places in Minnesota (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 376 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: about 0.3% growth over the 2020 Census base (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Minnesota places: 547th largest of 853 (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: roughly 36% of Minnesota's places have fewer residents (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: it sits at 44.5116, -95.8926 in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Minneota, MN (6 mi); Marshall, MN (7 mi); Lynd, MN (8 mi); Cottonwood, MN (13 mi); Ivanhoe, MN (18 mi), each a US Census place with its estimated population.
- Nearest smaller towns: Taunton, MN (10 mi); Russell, MN (13 mi); St. Leo, MN (16 mi) — US Census Bureau populations.
What a personal loan costs in Ghent
A personal loan is structured as an installment plan, with a set number of monthly payments and a fixed amount due each time.
APR is the figure that lets you compare like with like, since it wraps fees into the rate; run your own numbers with the personal loan calculator.
A longer term reduces what you owe each month and increases the total interest, which is the trade-off to weigh before choosing one.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Minnesota lending rules that apply in Ghent
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Ghent: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Payday ability-to-repay requirement | Required for payday loans with an APR above 36% (Minn. Stat. § 47.603) Source says: "This section applies to all payday loans with an annual percentage rate that exceeds 36 percent." | Minnesota Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 6% per year legal rate of interest; a different rate may be contracted for in writing (Minn. Stat. § 334.01) Source says: "The interest for any legal indebtedness shall be at the rate of $6 upon $100 for a year" | Minnesota Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal and licensed; APR capped at 36%, or up to 50% with an ability-to-repay analysis (Minn. Stat. §§ 47.60, 47.601, 47.603) Source says: "The cap on that annual percentage rate is set at either 36%, or up to 50% if the lender conducts an ability to repay analysis" | Minnesota Department of Commerce as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Regulated loan license required from the commissioner for loans within the Chapter 56 threshold (Minn. Stat. § 56.01) Source says: "without first obtaining a license from the commissioner, no person shall engage in the business of making loans of money" | Minnesota Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Minnesota Department of Commerce (commissioner of commerce) Source says: ""Commissioner" means the commissioner of commerce" | Minnesota Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Ghent
Run through this list before signing anything in Ghent:
- 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 Minnesota using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.