Port Clinton at a glance
- Population: 5,933 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 236th-largest of 924 places in Ohio.
- 2020 Census base: 6,027 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: down about 1.6% from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Ohio places: 236th-largest of 924 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: about 74% of places in Ohio are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 41.5097, longitude -82.9383 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities (within 120 miles): Sandusky, OH (12 mi); Fremont, OH (14 mi); Clyde, OH (14 mi); Bellevue, OH (17 mi); Huron, OH (21 mi) (US Census Bureau populations).
- Nearest smaller towns: Bay View, OH (7 mi); Castalia, OH (10 mi); Oak Harbor, OH (10 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Port Clinton
A personal loan gives you the full amount at once and spreads repayment over a set number of months at a fixed payment.
The APR is the comparable price of a loan since it folds in fees; model any offer with the personal loan calculator first.
The term is the lever: extend it and the payment falls while total interest climbs; shorten it and the reverse happens.
Work out the payment you can comfortably carry each month first, then borrow no more than that figure supports.
Ohio lending rules that apply in Port Clinton
The table lists the Ohio rules that apply to a loan made in Port Clinton, each with the regulator that published it.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Port Clinton
A few practical steps will make the process in Port Clinton 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 Ohio using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.