Alma at a glance
- Population: 717 residents, the 421st-largest of 605 places in Wisconsin (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 714 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: up about 0.4% from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Wisconsin places: 421st out of 605 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 30% of Wisconsin's Census places are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 44.3398, longitude -91.9185 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities (within 120 miles): Wabasha, MN (7 mi); Buffalo City, WI (8 mi); Pepin, WI (13 mi); Plainview, MN (17 mi); Fountain City, WI (19 mi) (US Census Bureau populations).
- Nearest smaller communities: Kellogg, MN (5 mi); Nelson, WI (7 mi); Cochrane, WI (9 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Alma
A personal loan is structured as an installment plan, with a set number of monthly payments and a fixed amount due each time.
Judge an offer by its APR, which blends the interest rate with fees, and use the personal loan calculator to see the total cost.
A longer term reduces what you owe each month and increases the total interest, which is the trade-off to weigh before choosing one.
Shop with more than one lender and treat pre-qualification as an estimate, since the final terms follow a full application.
Wisconsin lending rules that apply in Alma
Each row below is a Wisconsin rule with its publisher and the date it was retrieved.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 12% per year maximum ($12 per $100) on the declining principal balance, except as authorized by other statutes (Wis. Stat. § 138.05(1)(a)) Source says: At the rate of $12 upon $100 for one year computed upon the declining principal balance of the loan or forbearance | Wisconsin State Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal and licensed by the DFI Division of Banking; statewide database tracking (Wis. Stat. § 138.14) Source says: "Licensee" means a person holding a license issued by the division under sub. (5) | Wisconsin State Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Licensed lender license required from the Division of Banking (Wis. Stat. § 138.09) Source says: Before any person may do business under this section, that person shall first obtain a license from the division. | Wisconsin State Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), Division of Banking Source says: "Department" means the department of financial institutions | Wisconsin State Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Alma
A few practical steps will make the process in Alma less costly:
- 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 Wisconsin using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.