Ruby at a glance
- Population: 321 residents, the 210th-largest of 271 places in South Carolina (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 317 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: population rose about 1.3% (US Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimate vs 2020 Census).
- Rank among South Carolina places: 210th-largest of 271 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: roughly 23% of South Carolina's places have fewer residents (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: it sits at 34.7482, -80.1791 in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Chesterfield, SC (6 mi); Pageland, SC (12 mi); Morven, NC (13 mi); Jefferson, SC (13 mi); Cheraw, SC (15 mi); each population is a US Census Bureau estimate.
- Nearest smaller towns: Mount Croghan, SC (3 mi); McFarlan, NC (12 mi); Patrick, SC (14 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Ruby
Personal loans are closed-end installment debt, so the monthly payment and the payoff date are known from the start.
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.
Lenders weigh your credit history, income and debts when they set the rate, and the term you choose then determines how that rate compounds into total cost.
Set the loan amount from the expense itself rather than the maximum you are approved for, and keep the payment within your existing budget.
South Carolina lending rules that apply in Ruby
The table lists the South Carolina rules that apply to a loan made in Ruby, each with the regulator that published it.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 8.75% per annum statutory legal rate where no rate is agreed (judgment rate: Wall Street Journal prime + 4 points). Source says: "the legal interest shall be at the rate of eight and three-fourths percent per annum" (S.C. Code 34-31-20(A)). | South Carolina Legislature (S.C. Code of Laws) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal for licensed deferred presentment providers; max $550 advanced at one time; fee limited to 15% of principal; term up to 31 days; 2025 repeal bill S.379 introduced but not enacted. Source says: "The total amount advanced by a licensee to any customer at one time for deferred presentment or deposit may not exceed five hundred fifty dollars" (34-39-180(B)); fees capped at "fifteen percent of the principal amount of the transaction" (34-39-180(E)). | South Carolina Legislature (S.C. Code of Laws) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer Finance Division licenses and regulates companies making consumer loans with APRs exceeding 12% (Title 37 Consumer Protection Code; Consumer Finance Act, Title 34, ch. 29). Source says: "The Consumer Finance Division (CFD) licenses and regulates the business activities of all companies... that make consumer loans which have annual percentage rates exceeding 12%." | South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions - Consumer Finance Division as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions - Consumer Finance Division (Office of the Commissioner of Consumer Finance) Source says: "South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions Office of the Commissioner of Consumer Finance" (site heading). | South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions - Consumer Finance Division as of 2026-09-16 |
| Supervised loan threshold (state-specific rule) | Consumer loans with a finance charge above 12%/year are "supervised loans" requiring licensed supervised lenders; supervised lenders may charge up to 18% per year on unpaid balances. Source says: "Supervised loan means a consumer loan in which the rate of the loan finance charge exceeds twelve percent per year" (37-3-301); "eighteen percent per year on the unpaid balances of principal" (37-3-201(2)(c)). | South Carolina Legislature (S.C. Code of Laws) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Ruby
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Ruby:
- 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 South Carolina using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.