Haverhill at a glance
- Population: the Census estimates 67,415 residents, ranking 15th of 54 places in Massachusetts (Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 67,774 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a decline of roughly 0.5% between the 2020 count and the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Massachusetts places: 15th of the state's 54 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it is larger than about 72% of the places in Massachusetts (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: the Census Gazetteer places it at 42.7829, -71.0874.
- Nearest larger cities within 120 miles: Lawrence, MA (7 mi); Lowell, MA (15 mi); Nashua, NH (21 mi); Lynn, MA (22 mi); Manchester, NH (23 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Nearest smaller towns: Newburyport, MA (10 mi); Peabody, MA (18 mi); Beverly, MA (20 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Haverhill
A personal loan gives you the full amount at once and spreads repayment over a set number of months at a fixed payment.
Judge an offer by its APR, which blends the interest rate with fees, and use the personal loan calculator to see the total cost.
Lenders weigh your credit history, income and debts when they set the rate, and the term you choose then determines how that rate compounds into total cost.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Massachusetts lending rules that apply in Haverhill
Every figure in the table below is sourced to a publisher with a date; where a state does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Small-loan license required for loans of $6,000 or less when interest and expenses exceed 12% per year (M.G.L. c. 140, § 96) Source says: "No person shall directly or indirectly engage in the business of making loans of six thousand dollars or less ... without first obtaining ... a license" | Massachusetts General Court as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Division of Banks (Office of the Commissioner of Banks) Source says: "The Division of Banks (DOB) cautions you when applying for a payday loan" | Massachusetts Division of Banks as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan rate order | Maximum 23% per annum plus a $20 administrative fee (209 CMR 26.00/26.01) Source says: "Regulation 209 CMR 26.00 et seq. limits the annual interest rate that can be charged on small loans to 23%" | Massachusetts Division of Banks as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 20% per annum criminal-usury threshold (M.G.L. c. 271, § 49); statutory exceptions apply Source says: "interest and expenses the aggregate of which exceeds an amount greater than twenty per centum per annum upon the sum loaned" | Massachusetts General Court as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Restricted: DOB states payday lending is not prohibited, but a 'payday loan' is illegal due to the high APR Source says: "Payday lending is not prohibited in Massachusetts. Yet what is referred to as a 'payday loan' is illegal" | Massachusetts Division of Banks as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Haverhill
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Haverhill:
- 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 Massachusetts using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.