Winthrop at a glance
- Population: 1,328 — 316th in Minnesota, which has 853 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 1,332 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: population fell about 0.3% (US Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimate vs 2020 Census).
- Rank among Minnesota places: 316th by size among 853 communities (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: roughly 63% of places in Minnesota rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 44.5423 latitude, -94.3600 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Gaylord, MN (7 mi); Arlington, MN (15 mi); New Ulm, MN (17 mi); Glencoe, MN (19 mi); Le Sueur, MN (23 mi); US Census Bureau population estimates.
- Smaller places close by: Lafayette, MN (7 mi); Gibbon, MN (8 mi); New Auburn, MN (11 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Winthrop
A personal loan is an installment loan: you receive a lump sum and repay it in fixed monthly payments over a set term, usually two to seven years.
APR, not the simple interest rate, reflects what the loan actually costs once fees are included; the personal loan calculator puts a figure on it.
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.
Pre-qualifying with several lenders takes minutes, uses a soft pull, and gives you real numbers to compare before any hard inquiry.
Minnesota lending rules that apply in Winthrop
Each row below is a Minnesota rule with its publisher and the date it was retrieved.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Winthrop
The order below is a sensible way to approach a loan in Winthrop:
- 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.