Saluda at a glance
- Population: 3,068, the 90th-largest community in South Carolina out of 271 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 3,118 residents (US Census Bureau, 2020 Census).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a loss of about 1.6% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among South Carolina places: 90th out of 271 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: larger than about 67% of the Census places in South Carolina (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 34.0012, longitude -81.7716 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities (120-mile radius): Batesburg-Leesville, SC (15 mi); Edgefield, SC (17 mi); Newberry, SC (22 mi); Greenwood, SC (26 mi); Lexington, SC (32 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Nearest smaller towns: Ward, SC (10 mi); Johnston, SC (12 mi); Ridge Spring, SC (12 mi) — US Census Bureau populations.
What a personal loan costs in Saluda
A personal loan is structured as an installment plan, with a set number of monthly payments and a fixed amount due each time.
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.
A longer term reduces what you owe each month and increases the total interest, which is the trade-off to weigh before choosing one.
Work out the payment you can comfortably carry each month first, then borrow no more than that figure supports.
South Carolina lending rules that apply in Saluda
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Saluda
The order below is a sensible way to approach a loan in Saluda:
- 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.