Mead at a glance
- Population: 6,450 — 71st in Colorado, which has 270 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 4,805 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: about 34.2% more residents than the 2020 Census base (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Colorado places: 71st out of 270 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 74% of places in Colorado are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: it sits at 40.2270, -104.9883 in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Berthoud, CO (4 mi); Firestone, CO (5 mi); Johnstown, CO (7 mi); Longmont, CO (7 mi); Frederick, CO (8 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Smaller places nearby: Platteville, CO (8 mi); Gilcrest, CO (12 mi); Lyons, CO (15 mi), per US Census Bureau estimates.
What a personal loan costs in Mead
Unlike a revolving credit card, a personal loan is closed-end: the balance falls on a fixed schedule and the payment does not change.
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.
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.
A payment that strains the budget is a warning sign; a smaller loan or a little more saving time is the safer route.
Colorado lending rules that apply in Mead
The table lists the Colorado rules that apply to a loan made in Mead, each with the regulator that published it.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | Colorado Attorney General's Office — Consumer Credit Unit (Administrator of the Uniform Consumer Credit Code) Source says: "The Consumer Credit Unit regulates (through licensure/registration programs) companies and individuals involved in consumer lending"; it "licenses non-bank lenders such as finance companies and payday lenders". | Colorado Attorney General — Consumer Protection Section as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | UCCC finance-charge ceilings: 12% per year on non-supervised consumer loans; supervised loans 36% on the first $1,000, 21% on $1,000–$3,000, 15% above $3,000 (or 21% flat); 21% on revolving accounts Source says: "not exceeding twelve percent per year on the unpaid balance of the amount financed"; "Thirty-six percent per year on that part of the unpaid balances of the amount financed that is one thousand dollars or less"; "Twenty-one percent per year on the unpaid balances of the amount financed". | Colorado General Assembly — C.R.S. § 5-2-201 (Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 5) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted but capped at 36% APR (Proposition 111, effective February 1, 2019) Source says: "a finance charge for each deferred deposit loan or payday loan that must not exceed an annual percentage rate of thirty-six percent". | Colorado General Assembly — C.R.S. § 5-3.1-105 (Deferred Deposit Loan Act) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Supervised lender license required from the UCCC Administrator (master license required for more than one place of business); deferred deposit lenders must hold a supervised lender's license Source says: "if a supervised lender has more than one place of business, they must obtain a master license"; "no person shall engage in the business of deferred deposit loans without having first obtained a supervised lender's license" (C.R.S. § 5-3.1-116). | Colorado Attorney General — Uniform Consumer Credit Code licensing as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Mead
Before you commit to a personal loan in Mead, work through these steps:
- 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 Colorado using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.