Oglethorpe at a glance
- Population: roughly 953 people; 309th of 536 places in Georgia (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 999 people counted in the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a decline of roughly 4.6% between the 2020 count and the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Georgia places: 309th in population of 536 places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 42% of Georgia's Census places are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 32.2932, longitude -84.0628 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities (120-mile radius): Montezuma, GA (3 mi); Marshallville, GA (13 mi); Ellaville, GA (15 mi); Americus, GA (18 mi); Unadilla, GA (19 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Nearest smaller towns: Andersonville, GA (8 mi); Dooling, GA (9 mi); Ideal, GA (9 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Oglethorpe
A personal loan is an installment loan: you receive a lump sum and repay it in fixed monthly payments over a set term, usually two to seven years.
The advertised interest rate leaves out fees that the APR captures, which is why APR is the number to weigh; try the personal loan calculator before you apply.
Your credit, income and existing debts drive the rate a lender offers, while the term you pick sets how much interest builds on top.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Georgia lending rules that apply in Oglethorpe
Where a figure is not published by the state, the row points to the source instead of guessing.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Payday lending status | Prohibited (payday lending illegal in Georgia) Source says: "Payday lending is illegal in Georgia." | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Installment lender license required for loans of $3,000 or less Source says: "any entity making loans of $3,000.00 or less to individuals must be licensed with the Department as an installment lender". | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (DBF) Source says: "The Non-depository division supervises mortgage lenders, mortgage brokers, and mortgage loan originators, as well as installment lenders, check cashers, and money transmitters". | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Installment Loan Act rate cap | 10% per annum of the face amount of the contract (licensed installment loans) Source says: "may charge interest at a rate not to exceed 10 percent per annum of the face amount of the contract". | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | See the latest published figure value_text left null: Georgia's rate ceilings are set by O.C.G.A. Title 7, Chapter 4 (O.C.G.A. §§ 7-4-1 to 7-4-21); the Department of Banking and Finance does not publish the figure and the official code host could not be fetched, so no figure is asserted. | Georgia Department of Banking and Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Oglethorpe
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Oglethorpe:
- 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 Georgia using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.