Personal loans in Jefferson, WI
In Jefferson, one of 605 Census places in Wisconsin, the figure to compare across lenders is the APR, not the advertised rate. Roughly 7,646 residents live in Jefferson, the 125th-largest community in Wisconsin. Population in Jefferson dropped about 1.8% over the three years from 2020 to 2023. Consumer lending that reaches Jefferson's 7,646 residents is governed by Wisconsin statute; no city ordinance changes it. Begin with the payment, then weigh APR and total interest across the lenders that reach Jefferson's 7,646 residents. The closest larger place is Fort Atkinson, WI about 6 miles away.
Jefferson: population, trend and location
Set out below is Jefferson's local context next to the state-level rules that reach every lender here.
- Population: about 7,646, ranked 125th of 605 places in Wisconsin (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- Population trend: A decline of about 1.8% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison.
- People gained or lost: about 144 fewer since the 2020 base.
- Size percentile: about 79% of Wisconsin's Census places are smaller than Jefferson.
- Population density: 1,311 people per square mile on 5.8 square miles of land.
- Land area: Jefferson covers 5.8 square miles, the 126th-largest area among Wisconsin's 605 places.
- Water area: Jefferson has 0.21 square miles of water, ranking 133rd of 605 places in Wisconsin.
- Share of Wisconsin: Jefferson holds about 0.2% of the state's population, some 7,646 people.
- National rank: Jefferson is the 3,780th most populous of the 19,457 Census places covered here.
- Growth in Wisconsin: Jefferson stands 493rd by percentage change from 2020 to 2023, among 605 places.
- Versus Wisconsin: the state average change is +0.4%, while Jefferson moved 1.8%.
- Density rank: Jefferson places 141st among Wisconsin's places by people per square mile.
- Against the state median: Jefferson runs about 1,311 residents per square mile, where the Wisconsin median is 800.
- Location: coordinates 43.0040, -88.8085 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Fort Atkinson (6 mi); Whitewater (12 mi); Watertown (13 mi); Oconomowoc (17 mi); Cottage Grove (21 mi). Living near a larger metro rarely changes what is available in Jefferson.
- Smaller towns nearby: Johnson Creek (6 mi); Lake Mills (7 mi); Cambridge (11 mi).
- Smaller places within 50 miles: 107 of them.
- Larger places within 100 miles: 235.
Inside a Jefferson personal loan
In Jefferson, a small town of about 7,646, the amount is advanced up front and repaid in fixed installments; the city's size does not change the pricing. Two numbers drive a Jefferson loan: the APR, which includes fees, and the term, which decides how long you keep paying. The term you choose in Jefferson decides the split between a comfortable payment and the total interest you pay.
A pre-application checklist for Jefferson
Before you hand your details to a lender in Jefferson, where the population is near 7,646:
- Get all three reports, dispute anything wrong, and keep the corrected file for your applications.
- Model the payment on the calculator before a lender models it for you.
- Shop at least three lenders and judge them on APR and total cost.
- Confirm the Wisconsin licence with the regulator named above before committing.
- Keep the amount to the expense; an approval is not a reason to take more.
- Decide the purpose and how you will repay it before approaching any lender.
- If debt is already a struggle, talk to a nonprofit credit counsellor before borrowing more.
What differs between Jefferson and the rest of Wisconsin is not the process but the borrower's own file, among the 7,646 people here.
Where Jefferson sits in Wisconsin
Against Wisconsin's other places, Jefferson accounts for about 0.2% of the state's population and ranks 125th of 605 by size. For population change between 2020 and 2023, Jefferson ranks 493rd of 605 in Wisconsin (about the 19th percentile). Its roughly 1,311 residents per square mile place it 141st among Wisconsin's places. Within 50 miles sit 107 smaller Census places, alongside the 67 that are larger.
The geography behind Jefferson
Jefferson's land area is about 5.8 square miles; a further 0.21 square miles is water. Spread across it are roughly 1,311 residents per square mile. The state's population centre of gravity, Milwaukee, is roughly 43 miles away. Jefferson has 67 larger places within a 50-mile radius. The 100-mile radius contains 235 larger places.
How Wisconsin law applies in Jefferson
Wisconsin has no separate rate rule for Jefferson; the sourced rows below are what reach every lender that serves its 7,646 people.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), Division of Banking Source says: "Department" means the department of financial institutions | Wisconsin State Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 12% per year maximum ($12 per $100) on the declining principal balance, except as authorized by other statutes (Wis. Stat. § 138.05(1)(a)) Source says: At the rate of $12 upon $100 for one year computed upon the declining principal balance of the loan or forbearance | Wisconsin State Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal and licensed by the DFI Division of Banking; statewide database tracking (Wis. Stat. § 138.14) Source says: "Licensee" means a person holding a license issued by the division under sub. (5) | Wisconsin State Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
Common questions
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Nearby places
- Johnson Creek, WI — population 3,441
- Fort Atkinson, WI — population 12,350
- Lake Mills, WI — population 6,602
- Whitewater, WI — population 15,627
- Watertown, WI — population 22,692
- Cambridge, WI — population 1,668
- Sullivan, WI — population 642
- Rockdale, WI — population 204