Gretna at a glance
- Population: 1,284 residents, the 121st-largest of 227 places in Virginia (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 1,310 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: down roughly 2.0% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Virginia places: the 121st-largest of 227 (US Census Bureau, 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: it exceeds roughly 47% of Virginia's Census places by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 36.9495, longitude -79.3626 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Altavista, VA (13 mi); Danville, VA (25 mi); Bedford, VA (28 mi); Rocky Mount, VA (29 mi); South Boston, VA (30 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Nearest smaller communities: Chatham, VA (10 mi); Hurt, VA (11 mi); Brookneal, VA (24 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Gretna
With an installment loan the payment is fixed for the life of the loan, so the schedule is predictable from the first month to the last.
Compare offers on APR rather than the headline rate — the APR includes most fees, and you can model the total with our personal loan calculator.
The offer you receive reflects the lender's read of your credit, income and debts, and the term controls the balance between payment size and total interest.
Shop with more than one lender and treat pre-qualification as an estimate, since the final terms follow a full application.
Virginia lending rules that apply in Gretna
The Virginia rate caps and licensing rules that reach Gretna are listed below, each with its source and retrieval date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 12% per year maximum contract rate, except as otherwise permitted by law (Va. Code § 6.2-303) Source says: no contract shall be made for the payment of interest on a loan at a rate that exceeds 12 percent per year | Virginia General Assembly (Code of Virginia) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal via licensed short-term lenders; interest capped at a 36% simple annual rate plus limited fees (Va. Code § 6.2-1817) Source says: Interest at a simple annual rate not to exceed 36 percent | Virginia General Assembly (Code of Virginia) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer finance license required from the State Corporation Commission (Va. Code § 6.2-1501) Source says: No person shall engage in the business of making loans to individuals for personal, family, household, or other nonbusiness purposes | Virginia General Assembly (Code of Virginia) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Virginia State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Financial Institutions (BFI) Source says: The Bureau of Financial Institutions (BFI) is a regulatory division of the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC.) | Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Gretna
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Gretna:
- 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 Virginia using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.