Personal loans in Cambridge, IL
Cambridge is a small community in Illinois, with an estimated 2,047 residents, and every licensed lender here follows the same state rulebook.
The Census counts 2,047 people in Cambridge, the 471st-largest figure among Illinois's 1,294 places. Cambridge shed about 2.1% of its population between the 2020 base and the 2023 estimate. Judge Cambridge offers on total cost, not on how quickly the money arrives. The closest larger place is Geneseo, IL about 11 miles away. Lenders active in Cambridge report to a Illinois supervisor, identified in the sourced rows below.
Cambridge: population, trend and location
Only a few things actually differ by place — population, area, location, and the Illinois rules a lender must follow — and they are below.
- Population: 2,047 — Cambridge ranks 471st of 1,294 communities in Illinois (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- Population trend: A decline of about 2.1% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison.
- Net change: roughly 43 fewer people than the 2020 Census counted.
- Size percentile: bigger than about 64% of the places in Illinois, with 2,047 residents in Cambridge.
- Population density: about 1,028 people per square mile (Census land area 2.0 sq mi).
- By land area: Cambridge ranks 492nd among Illinois's 1,294 places, at 2.0 sq mi.
- Water: Cambridge holds about 0.01 square miles, the 444th-largest water area in Illinois.
- Within Illinois: about 0.0% of the state's population lives in Cambridge.
- Nationally: Cambridge is the 7,546th-largest of 19,457 Census places in the dataset.
- Growth in Illinois: Cambridge stands 614th by percentage change from 2020 to 2023, among 1,294 places.
- Against the state trend: Cambridge's 2.1% change compares with a Illinois average of -2.0% across its 1,294 places.
- Density rank: Cambridge is the 632nd most densely settled place in Illinois.
- Density vs Illinois: Cambridge's 1,028 people per square mile compare with a state median of 993.
- Location: 41.2924 / -90.1909, per the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Geneseo (11 mi); Galva (12 mi); Kewanee (14 mi); Colona (14 mi); Coal Valley (16 mi). Lenders licensed in the state serve Cambridge whether or not they keep a local branch.
- Nearest smaller towns: Andover (5 mi); Bishop Hill (7 mi); Woodhull (10 mi) — useful context for the surrounding area.
- Within a 50-mile radius: 121 smaller Census places.
- Within 100 miles: 147 places are larger than Cambridge.
Lender access in Cambridge
At roughly 1,028 people per square mile, Cambridge is moderately settled; 34 larger places lie within 50 miles. Distance to a branch rarely matters for Cambridge's 2,047 residents: the application is online and the price follows your credit file. For a larger market, the closest option is Geneseo, IL about 11 miles away.
What a Cambridge borrower is actually offered
Cambridge is a small community of about 2,047 people, and the personal loans written here are mostly unsecured — no collateral, so the lender leans on your credit file. Two numbers drive a Cambridge loan: the APR, which includes fees, and the term, which decides how long you keep paying. Shortening the term on a Cambridge loan raises the monthly payment but cuts the interest; lengthening it does the reverse.
What Illinois law requires in Cambridge
The rows below set out what a licensed lender must follow in Illinois, and so for Cambridge's roughly 2,047 residents.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Financial Institutions Source says: "DFI licenses, charters, and examines a wide variety of financial products and services including: Consumer and Sales Finance and Collection Agencies". | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted under license; capped at 36% annual percentage rate (payday loans) Source says: "shall not contract for or receive a charge exceeding a 36% annual percentage rate ... for a payday loan". | Illinois General Assembly (Illinois Compiled Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer Installment Loan Act license required from the Director of Financial Institutions (loans above 9% APR) Source says: "No person ... shall engage in the business of making loans of money ... except ... after first obtaining a license from the Director of Financial Institutions". | Illinois General Assembly (Illinois Compiled Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
Before you apply in Cambridge
A sensible order of operations for a loan in Cambridge, home to about 2,047 people:
- Order your free credit reports and dispute anything inaccurate — it is the cheapest way to move the rate you are offered.
- Test your amount and term in the personal loan calculator first.
- Line up several pre-qualified offers and let the APR decide.
- Make sure the lender appears in the Illinois regulator's licence list.
- If the balances are already a strain, seek nonprofit credit counselling before adding a loan.
- Read the disclosure for an origination fee and any prepayment penalty before signing.
- Check that the monthly payment fits your budget next to your existing obligations.
The process is identical across Illinois; what changes is your credit file, not the fact that Cambridge holds 2,047 people.
Cambridge in state context
Within Illinois, Cambridge holds roughly 0.0% of all residents, the 471st-largest share among 1,294 places. For population change between 2020 and 2023, Cambridge ranks 614th of 1,294 in Illinois (about the 53th percentile). By density, at about 1,028 people per square mile, it ranks 632nd in Illinois. In land area, Cambridge ranks 492nd among Illinois's 1,294 places.
Common questions
What are my options in Cambridge if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Cambridge?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Cambridge?
Does comparing loans in Cambridge cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Andover, IL — population 541
- Bishop Hill, IL — population 113
- Geneseo, IL — population 6,525
- Woodhull, IL — population 738
- Altona, IL — population 447
- Orion, IL — population 1,727
- Galva, IL — population 2,414
- Alpha, IL — population 658