Lafayette at a glance
- Population: 71,216 — 9th in Indiana, which has 565 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 70,792 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: up roughly 0.6% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Indiana places: 9th of the state's 565 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: roughly 98% of places in Indiana rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: mapped at 40.3994, -86.8628 by the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities (within 120 miles): Carmel, IN (48 mi); Noblesville, IN (52 mi); Fishers, IN (56 mi); Champaign, IL (77 mi); Bloomington, IN (87 mi) (US Census Bureau populations).
- Nearest smaller places: West Lafayette, IN (4 mi); Dayton, IN (5 mi); Shadeland, IN (7 mi) (US Census Bureau estimates).
What a personal loan costs in Lafayette
Personal loans are installment credit — one lump sum, repaid in equal monthly installments across a fixed term you agree to up front.
The number to compare is the APR, not the interest rate, because the APR folds in origination fees and other charges; our personal loan calculator will show what a given amount and term would cost.
A lender weighs your credit profile, income and debts when setting the rate, and a longer term lowers the payment at the cost of more interest overall.
A payment that strains the budget is a warning sign; a smaller loan or a little more saving time is the safer route.
Indiana lending rules that apply in Lafayette
The table lists the Indiana rules that apply to a loan made in Lafayette, each with the regulator that published it.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | See the latest published figure value_text left null: Indiana Code IC 24-4.5-3-508 sets tiered maximum loan finance charges for supervised loans; the official code site renders client-side and the figure could not be confirmed from a fetched page, so no figure is asserted. | Indiana General Assembly (Indiana Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted under license (small loans); finance charges capped at 15% of the first $250 (tiered above) Source says: "Finance charges on the first $250 of a small loan are limited to 15% of the principal". | Indiana Department of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Small Loan License required (IUCCC; separate Consumer Loan License for IC 24-4.5-3 loans) Source says: "unless a person is a supervised financial organization or has first obtained a small loan license from the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI)". | Indiana Department of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Indiana Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), Consumer Credit Division Source says: "The industries regulated by the Consumer Credit Division are: non-depository small loan ("payday") lenders; traditional installment lenders". | Indiana Department of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan size limit | $825 maximum aggregate small-loan principal per borrower Source says: "Lenders cannot have loans ... outstanding with you at any one time if the aggregate principal amount/amount financed exceeds $825". | Indiana Department of Financial Institutions as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Lafayette
Before you share your details with a lender in Lafayette:
- 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 Indiana using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.