Winchester at a glance
- Population: 981 residents, the 527th-largest of 924 places in Ohio (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 987 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: population fell about 0.6% (US Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimate vs 2020 Census).
- Rank among Ohio places: 527th-largest of 924 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: roughly 43% of Ohio's places have fewer residents (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 38.9435 latitude, -83.6541 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities (120-mile radius): Sardinia, OH (9 mi); West Union, OH (12 mi); Peebles, OH (13 mi); Georgetown, OH (14 mi); Mount Orab, OH (16 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Smaller towns nearby: Seaman, OH (5 mi); Mowrystown, OH (9 mi); Russellville, OH (9 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Winchester
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 APR is the comparable price of a loan since it folds in fees; model any offer with the personal loan calculator first.
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.
Most lenders offer pre-qualification with a soft credit pull, so you can see an estimated rate and amount without affecting your credit score.
Ohio lending rules that apply in Winchester
Each row below is a Ohio rule with its publisher and the date it was retrieved.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Winchester
The steps below are worth completing first when you borrow in Winchester:
- 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.