Lake Mills at a glance
- Population: 2,115 residents, the 156th-largest of 940 places in Iowa (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 2,142 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: down roughly 1.3% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Iowa places: 156th by size among 940 communities (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it exceeds roughly 83% of Iowa's Census places by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 43.4171 latitude, -93.5316 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Forest City, IA (12 mi); Albert Lea, MN (18 mi); Clear Lake, IA (21 mi); Garner, IA (22 mi); Wells, MN (25 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Nearest smaller places: Joice, IA (5 mi); Scarville, IA (6 mi); Emmons, MN (7 mi) (US Census Bureau estimates).
What a personal loan costs in Lake Mills
A personal loan is structured as an installment plan, with a set number of monthly payments and a fixed amount due each time.
Compare every quote on APR because it includes the fees the interest rate hides, and check the payment with our personal loan calculator.
The term is the lever: extend it and the payment falls while total interest climbs; shorten it and the reverse happens.
Pre-qualifying with several lenders takes minutes, uses a soft pull, and gives you real numbers to compare before any hard inquiry.
Iowa lending rules that apply in Lake Mills
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Lake Mills: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | Iowa Division of Banking (IDOB), Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial Services Source says: "As part of the 2023 state government realignment, the IDOB became part of a new Department of Insurance and Financial Services". | Iowa Division of Banking as of 2026-09-16 |
| Delayed deposit fee cap | Fee cap: $15 on first $100 of check face amount; $10 on subsequent $100 increments Source says: "fifteen dollars on the first one hundred dollars ... or more than ten dollars on subsequent one hundred dollar increments". | Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 2 percentage points above the monthly average 10-year U.S. Treasury constant maturity rate (written agreements) Source says: "The maximum lawful rate of interest ... in any written agreement ... shall be two percentage points above the monthly average ten-year constant maturity interest rate". | Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted under license (delayed deposit services; must be physically located in Iowa) Source says: "A person shall not operate a delayed deposit services business in this state unless the person is physically located in this state and licensed by the superintendent". | Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Regulated Loan Act license required (superintendent of banking) Source says: "shall not engage in the business of making loans ... without first obtaining a license from the superintendent of banking". | Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Lake Mills
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Lake Mills:
- 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 Iowa using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.