Merino at a glance
- Population: about 282, 220th by size in Colorado of 270 places (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 285 people counted in the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: down roughly 1.1% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Colorado places: 220th by size among 270 communities (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 19% of Colorado's Census places are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 40.4837 / -103.3537, per the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities (within 120 miles): Sterling, CO (13 mi); Hillrose, CO (14 mi); Brush, CO (21 mi); Akron, CO (23 mi); Fort Morgan, CO (28 mi) (US Census Bureau populations).
- Smaller places nearby: Iliff, CO (24 mi); Raymer (New Raymer), CO (27 mi); Peetz, CO (35 mi), per US Census Bureau estimates.
What a personal loan costs in Merino
A personal loan hands you a single sum and a repayment schedule of equal monthly installments over an agreed term.
Because the APR includes origination and finance charges, it is the honest comparison number; the personal loan calculator turns an APR and term into a monthly payment.
Choosing a longer term eases the monthly budget but adds interest over the life of the loan; a shorter term costs more per month and less overall.
Pre-qualifying with several lenders takes minutes, uses a soft pull, and gives you real numbers to compare before any hard inquiry.
Colorado lending rules that apply in Merino
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Merino: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Merino
The steps below are worth completing first when you borrow in Merino:
- 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.