Oakland at a glance
- Population: 12,680 — 81st in New Jersey, which has 323 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 12,750 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: about 0.5% lower than the 2020 Census base (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among New Jersey places: 81st by size among 323 communities (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: ahead of around 75% of New Jersey places in population terms (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: it sits at 41.0310, -74.2405 in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Ramsey, NJ (5 mi); Hawthorne, NJ (7 mi); Ridgewood, NJ (7 mi); Paterson, NJ (9 mi); Fair Lawn, NJ (9 mi); US Census Bureau population estimates.
- Nearest smaller towns: Franklin Lakes, NJ (2 mi); Wanaque, NJ (3 mi); Pompton Lakes, NJ (3 mi) — US Census Bureau populations.
What a personal loan costs in Oakland
Most personal loans are unsecured, meaning no collateral is pledged, and they are repaid in equal installments over a fixed term.
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.
Stretching the term lowers the monthly payment but raises the total interest you pay, so the smallest payment is not automatically the cheapest loan.
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.
New Jersey lending rules that apply in Oakland
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 |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI); Office of Consumer Finance supervises consumer lenders Source says: "The Office of Consumer Finance regulates 16 types of businesses that provide a variety of consumer financial services." | New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Criminal usury limits | 30% for non-corporate borrowers; 50% for corporations Source says: "the criminal usury limitation is 50 percent for corporations and 30 percent for non-corporate borrowers" | New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | Civil usury: rates above 6% (agreement not in writing) or above 16% (written contract specifying the rate) Source says: "the civil usury rate is any interest rate greater than 6 percent for an agreement that is not in writing" | New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Unlicensed payday lending violates New Jersey's civil and criminal usury rates; payday lenders must be licensed Source says: "out-of-state or foreign entities that have not obtained the required New Jersey license and whose payment terms violate New Jersey's civil and criminal usury rates" | New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer lender license required for loans of $50,000 or less for personal, family, or household purposes (N.J.S.A. 17:11C-1 et seq.) Source says: "A consumer lender license is required for the making of a loan that is to be used primarily for personal, family or household purposes" | New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Oakland
Before you commit to a personal loan in Oakland, 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 New Jersey using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.