Clay City at a glance
- Population: about 832, 701st by size in Illinois of 1,294 places (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 count put the population at 855 (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a loss of about 2.7% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Illinois places: 701st out of 1,294 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: ahead of around 46% of Illinois places in population terms (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 38.6858 / -88.3486, per the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Flora, IL (7 mi); Louisville, IL (10 mi); Olney, IL (15 mi); Fairfield, IL (21 mi); Newton, IL (23 mi); US Census Bureau population estimates.
- Nearest smaller towns: Sailor Springs, IL (5 mi); Noble, IL (7 mi); Cisne, IL (13 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Clay City
With an installment loan the payment is fixed for the life of the loan, so the schedule is predictable from the first month to the last.
APR is the figure that lets you compare like with like, since it wraps fees into the rate; run your own numbers with the personal loan calculator.
Your credit, income and existing debts drive the rate a lender offers, while the term you pick sets how much interest builds on top.
Shop with more than one lender and treat pre-qualification as an estimate, since the final terms follow a full application.
Illinois lending rules that apply in Clay City
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Installment lender net-worth requirement | $30,000 minimum positive net worth (plus $25,000 surety bond) Source says: "every applicant shall prove ... that the applicant has and will maintain a positive net worth of a minimum of $30,000". | Illinois General Assembly (Illinois Compiled Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 9% annual percentage rate (general written-contract interest cap) Source says: "it shall be lawful for the parties to stipulate or agree that an annual percentage rate of 9%, or any less sum". | Illinois General Assembly (Illinois Compiled Statutes) 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 |
How to compare offers in Clay City
The order below is a sensible way to approach a loan in Clay City:
- 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 Illinois using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.