Gurnee at a glance
- Population: 30,193 residents, the 64th-largest of 1,294 places in Illinois (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 30,715 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: down about 1.7% from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Illinois places: 64th largest of 1,294 (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 95% of places in Illinois are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 42.3701 latitude, -87.9368 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities (within 120 miles): Waukegan, IL (3 mi); North Chicago, IL (5 mi); Mundelein, IL (8 mi); Buffalo Grove, IL (14 mi); Highland Park, IL (14 mi) (US Census Bureau populations).
- Smaller places close by: Park City, IL (3 mi); Third Lake, IL (4 mi); Old Mill Creek, IL (5 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Gurnee
Unlike a revolving credit card, a personal loan is closed-end: the balance falls on a fixed schedule and the payment does not change.
Judge an offer by its APR, which blends the interest rate with fees, and use the personal loan calculator to see the total cost.
Stretching the term lowers the monthly payment but raises the total interest you pay, so the smallest payment is not automatically the cheapest loan.
Work out the payment you can comfortably carry each month first, then borrow no more than that figure supports.
Illinois lending rules that apply in Gurnee
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Gurnee
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Gurnee:
- 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.