Mentor at a glance
- Population: a Census-estimated 46,929, placing it 23rd among Ohio's 924 places (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 count put the population at 47,441 (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: down roughly 1.1% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Ohio places: 23rd out of 924 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 98% of Ohio's Census places are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 41.6902, -81.3359 (Census Gazetteer, US Census Bureau).
- Nearest larger cities within 120 miles: Euclid, OH (12 mi); Cleveland, OH (23 mi); Lakewood, OH (28 mi); Parma, OH (29 mi); Cuyahoga Falls, OH (37 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Nearest smaller places: Mentor-on-the-Lake, OH (2 mi); Kirtland Hills, OH (4 mi); Grand River, OH (5 mi) (US Census Bureau estimates).
What a personal loan costs in Mentor
Unlike a revolving credit card, a personal loan is closed-end: the balance falls on a fixed schedule and the payment does not change.
Judge an offer by its APR, which blends the interest rate with fees, and use the personal loan calculator to see the total cost.
Your credit, income and existing debts drive the rate a lender offers, while the term you pick sets how much interest builds on top.
Before you borrow, decide what the loan is for and whether the monthly payment fits a budget you can already meet without taking on new debt.
Ohio lending rules that apply in Mentor
Where a figure is not published by the state, the row points to the source instead of guessing.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Financial Institutions (Consumer Finance Section). Source says: "The Consumer Finance Section is responsible for regulating non-depository consumer lenders and related consumer finance businesses." | Ohio Department of Commerce - Division of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 8% per annum maximum by written agreement for the general case; higher rates permitted only in specified cases (e.g., principal over $100,000, business loans, certain mortgages). Source says: "may stipulate therein for the payment of interest upon the amount thereof at any rate not exceeding eight per cent per annum payable annually" (Ohio Rev. Code 1343.01(A)). [codes.ohio.gov content retrieved via search-engine fetch of the official section; direct connections blocked from our network] | Ohio Laws (Ohio Revised Code - official state publication) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal for licensed short-term lenders; interest capped at 28% per annum; total fees and charges capped at 60% of the originally contracted loan amount. Source says: "(A) Interest not exceeding a rate of twenty-eight per cent per annum" (Ohio Rev. Code 1321.40); total fees/charges capped at "a total amount of fees and charges that exceeds sixty per cent of the originally contracted loan amount" (1321.403). | Ohio Laws (Ohio Revised Code - official state publication) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer finance licenses required for non-depository lenders, including Consumer Installment Loan Act lenders, General Loan Law lenders, short-term lenders, and small loan lenders. Source says: "We issue and manage licenses for companies and individuals under multiple Ohio statutes." (page's regulated-statutes list names Consumer Installment Loan Act lenders, General Loan Law lenders, Short-term lenders, Small loan lenders). | Ohio Department of Commerce - Division of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Mentor
The order below is a sensible way to approach a loan in Mentor:
- 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 Ohio using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.