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Compare legal limits, fees and the true cost of small loans in your state before you talk to any lender. Compare legal limits, fees and the true cost of small loans in your state.
Credit Unions vs Payday Loans in Illinois
175 credit unions are headquartered in Illinois, with 3,988,614 members in total. 41 are federal credit unions and 134 are state-chartered; all are federally insured by the NCUA.
- Credit unions
- 175
- Members
- 4.0M
- Federal
- 41
- State-chartered
- 134
- Members per 100 people
- 31
- CUs per 100k people
- 1.4
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Illinois
Illinois has 175 credit unions headquartered here and 140 payday, installment and title loan stores. Local credit unions count 3,988,614 members — roughly 31 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
175
1.4 per 100k residents
4.0M members
Payday & loan stores
140
1.1 per 100k residents
8 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Illinois: OneMain Financial (67), Mariner Finance (30), Sun Loan Company (17), loanDepot (11), Oportun (11).
Borrowing $500 for 6 months in Illinois
| Option | Payment | Total cost of borrowing |
|---|---|---|
| Installment loan at the Illinois rate cap (36% APR) | $92.30/mo | $53.79 |
| Credit union PAL (28% APR) | $90.27/mo | $41.62 |
| Payday loan renewed every 2 weeks (typical $15 per $100, not available in Illinois) | $75.00 every 2 weeks | $975.00 |
- Monthly payment at the Illinois rate cap vs median monthly household income
- 1.3%
Example calculation with fixed monthly payments; the payday row shows typical out-of-state pricing for comparison. Actual rates and terms vary by lender.
What it means for a household in Illinois
- Median household income
- $87,400
- A $400 emergency equals
- 1.7 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 14.6%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 11.8%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Illinois are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Illinois
| Payday loan in IL | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Not allowed — storefront payday loans are banned | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Rate cap | Capped at 36% APR (PLPA 2021) | Up to 28% |
| Term | Usually 2–4 weeks, due in one payment | 1 to 12 months, in installments |
| Credit check | Usually none; a bank account and income are required | Membership required; payments can be reported to credit bureaus |
Payday rules: Illinois law as summarized on our Illinois payday page. PAL rules: National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) rules for federal credit unions (PAL I and PAL II); state-chartered credit unions may offer similar small loans.
Credit unions by city in Illinois
Credit unions are headquartered in 85 cities and towns across Illinois. Pick a city for addresses and websites, or scroll down for the smaller towns.
All credit unions in Illinois
| Credit union | Headquarters | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alliant Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 938,005 | alliantcreditunion.org |
| Citizens Equity First Credit UnionState-chartered | Peoria | 421,142 | cefcu.com |
| Baxter Credit UnionState-chartered | Vernon Hills | 369,985 | bcu.org |
| Consumers Credit UnionState-chartered | Lake Forest | 282,016 | myconsumers.org |
| Credit Union 1State-chartered | Lombard | 167,836 | creditunion1.org |
| I. H. Mississippi Valley Credit UnionState-chartered | Moline | 149,705 | ihmvcu.org |
| Scott Credit UnionState-chartered | Edwardsville | 131,552 | scu.org |
| State Farm Federal Credit UnionFederal | Bloomington | 113,382 | sffcu.org |
| Great Lakes Credit UnionState-chartered | Bannockburn | 100,458 | glcu.org |
| Empeople Credit UnionState-chartered | Moline | 73,975 | empeople.com |
| Vibrant Credit UnionState-chartered | Moline | 66,307 | vibrantcreditunion.org |
| Corporate America Family Credit UnionState-chartered | Elgin | 64,970 | alerofinancial.com |
| University of Illinois Community Credit UnionState-chartered | Champaign | 64,655 | uoficreditunion.org |
| 1st Midamerica Credit UnionState-chartered | Bethalto | 64,144 | 1stmidamerica.org |
| Numark Credit UnionState-chartered | Joliet | 61,622 | numarkcu.org |
| Selfreliance Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 48,785 | selfreliance.com |
| Siu Credit UnionState-chartered | Carbondale | 46,180 | siucu.org |
| Financial Plus Credit UnionState-chartered | Ottawa | 45,783 | fpcil.com |
| National Police Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 42,349 | nationalpolicecu.com |
| R.I.A. Federal Credit UnionFederal | Rock Island | 39,879 | riafcu.com |
| Streator Onized Credit UnionState-chartered | Streator | 38,086 | socu.org |
| Revity Credit UnionState-chartered | Granite City | 36,740 | revitycu.com |
| Heartland Credit UnionState-chartered | Springfield | 35,517 | hcu.org |
| Land of Lincoln Credit UnionState-chartered | Decatur | 35,390 | llcu.org |
| Healthcare Associates Credit UnionState-chartered | Lisle | 29,705 | hacu.org |
| First Northern Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 21,345 | fncu.org |
| Illiana Financial Credit UnionState-chartered | Calumet City | 20,906 | illiana.org |
| Decatur Earthmover Credit UnionState-chartered | Forsyth | 20,602 | decu.com |
| Illinois State Credit UnionState-chartered | Normal | 18,449 | itsmycu.org |
| Iaa Credit UnionState-chartered | Bloomington | 18,165 | iaacu.org |
| Midwest Members Credit UnionState-chartered | Wood River | 17,581 | midmembers.org |
| Vicinity Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 17,576 | vicinitycreditunion.com |
| Rock Valley Credit UnionState-chartered | Loves Park | 15,767 | rockvalleycreditunion.org |
| Partnership Financial Credit UnionState-chartered | Morton Grove | 14,364 | mypfcu.org |
| Community Trust Credit UnionState-chartered | Gurnee | 13,417 | ctcu.org |
| Catholic & Community Credit UnionState-chartered | Shiloh | 13,297 | catholicandcommunitycu.com |
| Cornerstone Credit UnionState-chartered | Freeport | 12,352 | cornerstonecu.org |
| Cooperative Choice Network Credit UnionState-chartered | Peoria | 12,320 | ccncu.com |
| For Members Only Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 11,106 | akafmofcu.org |
| United Community Credit UnionState-chartered | Quincy | 10,469 | myuccu.com |
| Central Credit Union of IllinoisState-chartered | Bellwood | 10,167 | centralcu.org |
| Illinois Educators Credit UnionState-chartered | Springfield | 10,152 | iecumember.org |
| Landmark Credit UnionState-chartered | Danville | 9,610 | landmarkcreditunion.com |
| Midwest Coalition of Labor Credit UnionState-chartered | Countryside | 8,560 | mclcu.org |
| The Credit Union for AllState-chartered | Bloomington | 8,022 | cuforall.com |
| Members "First" Community Credit UnionState-chartered | Quincy | 7,470 | membersfirstccu.com |
| Taylorville Community Credit UnionState-chartered | Taylorville | 7,390 | tccu.org |
| Redbrand Credit UnionState-chartered | Bartonville | 7,276 | redbrandcu.com |
| Maroon Financial Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 6,913 | maroonfinancialcu.org |
| Chicago Firefighter's Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 6,465 | chicagofirefighterscu.com |
| Illinois State Police Federal Credit UnionFederal | Springfield | 6,019 | ispfcu.org |
| Select Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Sterling | 5,836 | selectcu.com |
| Altonized Community Federal Credit UnionFederal | Alton | 5,595 | altonizedfcu.org |
| Gas and Electric Credit UnionState-chartered | Rock Island | 5,533 | gaselectriccu.com |
| Acme Continental Credit UnionState-chartered | Riverdale | 4,853 | acmecontinentalcu.com |
| Fieldstone Credit UnionState-chartered | Bradley | 4,770 | fieldstonecu.com |
| Gale Credit UnionState-chartered | Galesburg | 4,689 | galecu.org |
| 77th Street Depot Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 4,596 | 77creditunion.org |
| New Century Federal Credit UnionFederal | Joliet | 4,530 | newcenturyfcu.org |
| A.A.E.C. Credit UnionState-chartered | Arlington Heigh | 4,513 | aaeccu.com |
| Education Personnel Federal Credit UnionFederal | Danville | 4,247 | epfcu.com |
| Illinois Valley Credit UnionState-chartered | Peru | 4,213 | ivcu.com |
| 2 Rivers Area Credit UnionState-chartered | Kankakee | 3,969 | 2riversacu.com |
| Planites Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 3,910 | planites.org |
| Galesburg Burlington Credit UnionState-chartered | Galesburg | 3,655 | gbcu.net |
| Community Plus Federal Credit UnionFederal | Rantoul | 3,596 | cplusfcu.org |
| Central Illinois Credit UnionState-chartered | Champaign | 3,552 | cicu.com |
| Riverside Community Credit UnionState-chartered | Kankakee | 3,544 | riversidecu.com |
| Kaskaskia Valley Credit UnionState-chartered | Centralia | 3,462 | mykvccu.org |
| Fox Valley Credit UnionState-chartered | Aurora | 3,399 | foxvalleycu.com |
| Metro Federal Credit UnionFederal | Arlington Heigh | 3,292 | mcu.org |
| Harvard Community Credit UnionState-chartered | Harvard | 3,263 | harvardccu.org |
| Canals & Trails Credit UnionState-chartered | Lockport | 3,119 | canals-trailscu.org |
| Sherwin Williams Emp. Credit UnionState-chartered | South Holland | 3,023 | swcu.org |
| Chicago Firemans Assoc Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 2,991 | chicagofiremansacu.org |
| Moline Municipal Credit UnionState-chartered | Moline | 2,917 | molinecu.org |
| River To River Credit UnionState-chartered | Vienna | 2,443 | r2rcu.com |
| Streator Community Credit UnionState-chartered | Streator | 2,391 | streatorccu.com |
| Advantage One Credit UnionState-chartered | Morrison | 2,390 | a1cu.org |
| Dupage County Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Wheaton | 2,355 | dupagececu.org |
| Elca Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 2,352 | elcafcu.org |
| Area Educational Credit UnionState-chartered | Mattoon | 2,325 | myaecu.com |
| Tee-Pak Credit UnionState-chartered | Danville | 2,291 | teepakcu.org |
| Elite Community Credit UnionState-chartered | Bourbonnais | 2,256 | eliteccu.com |
| Bloomington Municipal Credit UnionState-chartered | Bloomington | 2,252 | bmcu.org |
| Northern Illinois Federal Credit UnionFederal | Dekalb | 2,187 | mynifcu.com |
| Linxus Credit UnionState-chartered | Machesney Park | 2,171 | linxuscu.org |
| Mwrd Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 2,120 | mwrdecu.org |
| Rockford Municipal Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Rockford | 2,102 | rmecu.net |
| Generations Credit UnionState-chartered | Rockford | 2,094 | generationscu.org |
| Ambraw Federal Credit UnionFederal | Lawrenceville | 2,001 | ambrawfcu.com |
| Anco Community Credit UnionState-chartered | La Salle | 1,975 | ancocommunitycu.com |
| Blaw-Knox Credit UnionState-chartered | Mattoon | 1,800 | bkcu.net |
| Northwest Municipal Federal Credit UnionFederal | Des Plaines | 1,769 | mynmfcu.com |
| Kone Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Moline | 1,710 | konecu.com |
| Western Illinois School Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Quincy | 1,677 | wisecu.com |
| Siue Credit UnionState-chartered | Edwardsville | 1,633 | siuecreditunion.org |
| Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railwy Credit UnionState-chartered | Cicero | 1,628 | — |
| Service Plus Credit UnionState-chartered | Moline | 1,592 | service-pluscu.org |
| South Side Community Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 1,550 | southsidecommunityfcu.org |
| Bloomington Postal Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Bloomington | 1,348 | bpecu.net |
| South Shop Federal Credit UnionFederal | Alsip | 1,302 | southshopfcu.org |
| Kankakee Federation of Teachers Credit UnionState-chartered | Kankakee | 1,299 | kftcu.com |
| Chicago's Bravest Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 1,269 | chicagosbravestcu.com |
| Chicago Area Office Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 1,254 | chicagoareafcu.org |
| Ottawa Hiway Credit UnionState-chartered | Ottawa | 1,197 | ottawahiwaycu.com |
| Financial Partners Credit UnionState-chartered | Springfield | 1,175 | fpcu.net |
| Peoria Postal Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Peoria | 1,173 | ppecu.org |
| A.S.H. Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Anna | 1,170 | — |
| Cbi Federal Credit UnionFederal | Plainfield | 1,157 | cbifcu.org |
| Springfield City Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Springfield | 1,142 | scecu.org |
| Molex Employees Federal Credit UnionFederal | Lisle | 1,127 | molexfcu.com |
| Metropolitan "L" Federal Credit UnionFederal | Oak Park | 1,097 | metrolfcu.com |
| Maternity B.V.M. Credit UnionState-chartered | Bourbonnais | 1,081 | mbvmcu.com |
| State Employees Community Credit UnionState-chartered | Alton | 1,031 | state-employeescu.com |
| Peoria City Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Peoria | 1,008 | peoriacu.com |
| Evergreen Park Schools Federal Credit UnionFederal | Evergreen Park | 983 | ffcu.org |
| Pontiac Dwight Prison Employs Credit UnionState-chartered | Pontiac | 923 | — |
| Joliet Municipal Employees Federal Credit UnionFederal | Joliet | 865 | jmefcu.org |
| Paris Hi-Way Credit UnionState-chartered | Paris | 852 | — |
| Oak Lawn Municipal Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Oak Lawn | 842 | olmecu.org |
| Cta-74th Street Depot Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 807 | 74thstdfcu.com |
| Northside L Federal Credit UnionFederal | Broadview | 795 | nslfcu.com |
| Urbana Municipal Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Urbana | 766 | umecunion.com |
| Hershey Robinson Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Robinson | 720 | — |
| Carbondale Highway Credit UnionState-chartered | Carbondale | 681 | — |
| C T A F C Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 680 | — |
| Funeral Service Credit UnionState-chartered | Springfield | 679 | fscunet.org |
| Trinity U.C.C. Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 669 | — |
| Peoria Hiway Credit UnionState-chartered | Peoria | 667 | peoriahiwaycu.com |
| I.B.E.W. Local #146 Credit UnionState-chartered | Decatur | 652 | ibew146cu.com |
| Williamson County Catholic Credit UnionState-chartered | Herrin | 624 | wcccu.us |
| Peoria Bell Credit UnionState-chartered | Peoria | 618 | hcu.org |
| Normal City Employees Federal Credit UnionFederal | Normal | 600 | iaacu.org |
| Joliet Firefighters Credit UnionState-chartered | Joliet | 582 | — |
| Chicago Avenue Garage Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 563 | cagfcu.org |
| Decatur Postal Credit UnionState-chartered | Decatur | 494 | decaturpostalcreditunion.com |
| Ethicon Suture Credit UnionState-chartered | River Forest | 486 | — |
| Haulpak Federal Credit UnionFederal | Peoria | 484 | — |
| Western Springs Federal Credit UnionFederal | Western Springs | 474 | wsfcunion.com |
| Aurora Firefighters' Credit UnionState-chartered | Aurora | 445 | — |
| Aurora Postal Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Aurora | 431 | — |
| B.E.A. Credit UnionState-chartered | Bethalto | 423 | beacreditunion.weebly.com |
| Mercer Credit UnionState-chartered | Aledo | 415 | — |
| Taylorville School Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Taylorville | 399 | — |
| Decatur Policemen Credit UnionState-chartered | Decatur | 389 | — |
| Springfield Firefighters Credit UnionState-chartered | Springfield | 369 | — |
| Fellowship Baptist Church Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 364 | fellowshipchicago.com |
| Salem School System Credit UnionState-chartered | Salem | 364 | salemschoolscreditunion.com |
| College and University Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 358 | cucu1600.com |
| N.I.C.E. Federal Credit UnionFederal | Geneva | 352 | nicefederalcu.org |
| Peoria Fire Fighters Credit UnionState-chartered | Peoria | 342 | — |
| Quincy Postal Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Quincy | 307 | — |
| Unified Homeowners of Illinois Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 303 | uhifcu.virtualcu.net |
| Reavis - Stickney Credit UnionState-chartered | Burbank | 268 | — |
| Alton Municipal Employees Federal Credit UnionFederal | Alton | 266 | altonmefcu.org |
| Berean Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 263 | bereancu.com |
| M.W.P.H. Grand Lodge of Illinois Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 259 | ilphgl.org |
| Park Manor Christian Church Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 252 | parkmanorchristianchurch.org |
| Smartchoice Credit UnionState-chartered | Spring Valley | 246 | smartchoicecreditunion.wordpress.com |
| Israel Methcomm Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 238 | imfcu.org |
| Gideon Federal Credit UnionFederal | Waukegan | 220 | — |
| Imperial Credit UnionState-chartered | Springfield | 192 | imperialcreditunion.org |
| St. Gregory Parish Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 168 | motherofgodchicago.org |
| St. Mark Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 167 | stmarkcu.org |
| Mt. Zion Credit UnionState-chartered | Zion | 163 | — |
| Clifford-Jacobs Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | Champaign | 159 | — |
| St. Helena Parish Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 154 | st-helena-parish-cu.org |
| St. Martin De Porres Parish Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 152 | stmartindeporresparish.com |
| Community Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 151 | — |
| Evanston Firemens Credit UnionState-chartered | Evanston | 150 | — |
| Shiloh Englewood Federal Credit UnionFederal | Chicago | 143 | shilohenglewoodfcu.com |
| Pilgrim Baptist Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 137 | pbc-cu.com |
| Mea Credit UnionState-chartered | Monticello | 122 | — |
| Bethel A.M.E. Church Credit UnionState-chartered | Chicago | 88 | — |
Credit unions in smaller towns of Illinois
Other cities and towns in Illinois where credit unions are headquartered, and how many there are in each.
- Aledo 1
- Alsip 1
- Alton 3
- Anna 1
- Arlington Heigh 2
- Bannockburn 1
- Bartonville 1
- Bellwood 1
- Bethalto 2
- Bourbonnais 2
- Bradley 1
- Broadview 1
- Burbank 1
- Calumet City 1
- Carbondale 2
- Centralia 1
- Countryside 1
- Danville 3
- Dekalb 1
- Edwardsville 2
- Evergreen Park 1
- Forsyth 1
- Freeport 1
- Galesburg 2
- Geneva 1
- Granite City 1
- Gurnee 1
- Harvard 1
- Herrin 1
- Kankakee 3
- La Salle 1
- Lake Forest 1
- Lawrenceville 1
- Lisle 2
- Lockport 1
- Loves Park 1
- Machesney Park 1
- Mattoon 2
- Moline 6
- Monticello 1
- Morrison 1
- Morton Grove 1
- Ottawa 2
- Paris 1
- Peru 1
- Pontiac 1
- Rantoul 1
- River Forest 1
- Riverdale 1
- Robinson 1
- Rock Island 2
- Salem 1
- Shiloh 1
- South Holland 1
- Spring Valley 1
- Sterling 1
- Streator 2
- Taylorville 2
- Urbana 1
- Vernon Hills 1
- Vienna 1
- Western Springs 1
- Wood River 1
- Zion 1
Credit unions are listed in the city of their headquarters; many have branches in other cities and accept members from across the state or the country, so members per 100 people is an approximation.