Poncha Springs at a glance
- Population: about 1,287 residents, ranking 137th of 270 Census places in Colorado (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 926 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: up about 39.0% from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Colorado places: the 137th-largest of 270 (US Census Bureau, 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: roughly 49% of Colorado's places have fewer residents (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 38.5211 / -106.0726, per the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Salida, CO (4 mi); Buena Vista, CO (22 mi); Gunnison, CO (46 mi); Cañon City, CO (46 mi); Leadville, CO (52 mi), each a US Census place with its estimated population.
- Smaller places close by: Pitkin, CO (25 mi); Saguache, CO (30 mi); Moffat, CO (37 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Poncha Springs
Personal loans are closed-end installment debt, so the monthly payment and the payoff date are known from the start.
The number to compare is the APR, not the interest rate, because the APR folds in origination fees and other charges; our personal loan calculator will show what a given amount and term would 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.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Colorado lending rules that apply in Poncha Springs
Each row below is a Colorado rule with its publisher and the date it was retrieved.
| 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 Poncha Springs
A few practical steps will make the process in Poncha Springs less costly:
- 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.