Personal loans in Charleston, IL

Population in Charleston dropped about 1.5% over the three years from 2020 to 2023. For a community of about 17,028, the practical step is to compare APR across at least three lenders before committing. A larger market lies at Terre Haute, IN about 43 miles away. Rate ceilings, licensing requirements and product limits for Charleston are all set at the Illinois level.

Charleston: population, trend and location

Charleston is a small town; the notes below cover its population profile and the statewide rules that apply.

• Population: an estimated 17,028 residents, 150th of 1,294 places in Illinois (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
• Population trend: A drop of about 1.5% from 2020 to 2023.
• Change in people: the 2020-to-2023 comparison is a loss of about 252 residents.
• Size percentile: Charleston's 17,028 people outrank roughly 88% of the places in Illinois.
• Population density: about 1,876 people per square mile across 9.1 square miles of land (Census Gazetteer area, Vintage 2023 population).
• By land area: Charleston ranks 129th among Illinois's 1,294 places, at 9.1 sq mi.
• Water area rank: Charleston ranks 34th among Illinois's 1,294 places, with 0.71 sq mi.
• State population share: Charleston accounts for about 0.2% of everyone in Illinois.
• National rank: Charleston is the 2,145th most populous of the 19,457 Census places covered here.
• Growth in Illinois: Charleston stands 361st by percentage change from 2020 to 2023, among 1,294 places.
• Versus Illinois: the state average change is -2.0%, while Charleston moved 1.5%.
• Density rank: Charleston places 249th among Illinois's places by people per square mile.
• Against the state median: Charleston runs about 1,876 residents per square mile, where the Illinois median is 993.
• Location: coordinates 39.4848, -88.1776 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
• Nearest larger cities: Terre Haute (43 mi); Urbana (43 mi); Champaign (44 mi); Decatur (48 mi); Danville (55 mi). Online lenders reach Charleston no matter how far the nearest branch is.
• Smaller places close by: Lerna (8 mi); Ashmore (9 mi); Mattoon (10 mi).
• Within a 50-mile radius: 123 smaller Census places.
• Larger places within 100 miles: 15.

The geography behind Charleston

The Census Gazetteer records 9.1 square miles of land and 0.71 square miles of water within Charleston. The resulting density is about 1,876 people per square mile. The state's population centre of gravity, Chicago, is roughly 165 miles away. Charleston has 4 larger places within a 50-mile radius. The 100-mile radius contains 15 larger places.

How personal loans work in Charleston

In Charleston, a small town of about 17,028, the amount is advanced up front and repaid in fixed installments; the city's size does not change the pricing. Federal Truth in Lending rules require a Charleston lender to disclose the APR and finance charge before you sign. Because the payment is fixed, the total cost of a Charleston loan is knowable in advance — unlike a revolving card balance.

A practical checklist for Charleston borrowers

Before you apply in Charleston, a community of about 17,028, work through these steps:

1. Order your free credit reports and dispute anything inaccurate — it is the cheapest way to move the rate you are offered.
2. Price the payment first with our personal loan calculator before any lender quotes you.
3. Collect three or more offers and compare them on APR, not on the advertised rate.
4. Look the lender up in the Illinois regulator's licence records before you sign.
5. Do not borrow more than the expense calls for, even if a lender approves a larger amount.
6. Be clear on what the loan is for and how it gets repaid.
7. If the balances are already a strain, seek nonprofit credit counselling before adding a loan.

In Charleston as elsewhere in Illinois, the written terms — not the advertisement — are what count for its 17,028 residents.

What Illinois law requires in Charleston

Read the table as a lender's compliance picture for Charleston: the rule, the sourced figure, the publisher and the date.

Charleston's place among Illinois's 1,294 places

Among Illinois's 1,294 places, Charleston sits at 150th for population, a share of roughly 0.2% of the state. Its 2020-to-2023 change ranks 361st of 1,294 Illinois places, putting it near the 72th percentile for growth. By density, at about 1,876 people per square mile, it ranks 249th in Illinois. In land area, Charleston ranks 129th among Illinois's 1,294 places.