Gem Lake at a glance
- Population: about 509, 490th by size in Minnesota of 853 places (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 count put the population at 524 (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a loss of about 2.9% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Minnesota places: 490th out of 853 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 43% of Minnesota's Census places are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 45.0611, -93.0381 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: White Bear Lake, MN (1 mi); Vadnais Heights, MN (1 mi); Maplewood, MN (3 mi); Birchwood Village, MN (3 mi); Mahtomedi, MN (3 mi); each population is a US Census Bureau estimate.
- Smaller places nearby: Pine Springs, MN (4 mi); Mendota, MN (13 mi); Lakeland Shores, MN (16 mi), per US Census Bureau estimates.
What a personal loan costs in Gem Lake
A personal loan gives you the full amount at once and spreads repayment over a set number of months at a fixed payment.
Judge an offer by its APR, which blends the interest rate with fees, and use the personal loan calculator to see the total cost.
The offer you receive reflects the lender's read of your credit, income and debts, and the term controls the balance between payment size and total interest.
A payment that strains the budget is a warning sign; a smaller loan or a little more saving time is the safer route.
Minnesota lending rules that apply in Gem Lake
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 6% per year legal rate of interest; a different rate may be contracted for in writing (Minn. Stat. § 334.01) Source says: "The interest for any legal indebtedness shall be at the rate of $6 upon $100 for a year" | Minnesota Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal and licensed; APR capped at 36%, or up to 50% with an ability-to-repay analysis (Minn. Stat. §§ 47.60, 47.601, 47.603) Source says: "The cap on that annual percentage rate is set at either 36%, or up to 50% if the lender conducts an ability to repay analysis" | Minnesota Department of Commerce as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Regulated loan license required from the commissioner for loans within the Chapter 56 threshold (Minn. Stat. § 56.01) Source says: "without first obtaining a license from the commissioner, no person shall engage in the business of making loans of money" | Minnesota Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Minnesota Department of Commerce (commissioner of commerce) Source says: ""Commissioner" means the commissioner of commerce" | Minnesota Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday ability-to-repay requirement | Required for payday loans with an APR above 36% (Minn. Stat. § 47.603) Source says: "This section applies to all payday loans with an annual percentage rate that exceeds 36 percent." | Minnesota Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Gem Lake
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Gem Lake:
- 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 Minnesota using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.