Cullman at a glance
- Population: 19,913, the 33rd-largest community in Alabama out of 462 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 count put the population at 18,306 (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: up roughly 8.8% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Alabama places: 33rd of 462 by population (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- Size percentile: ahead of around 93% of Alabama places in population terms (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 34.1769 latitude, -86.8407 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Decatur, AL (29 mi); Albertville, AL (36 mi); Madison, AL (37 mi); Huntsville, AL (37 mi); Trussville, AL (39 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Nearest smaller communities: South Vinemont, AL (4 mi); Good Hope, AL (5 mi); Berlin, AL (5 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Cullman
A personal loan hands you a single sum and a repayment schedule of equal monthly installments over an agreed term.
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.
Choosing a longer term eases the monthly budget but adds interest over the life of the loan; a shorter term costs more per month and less overall.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Alabama lending rules that apply in Cullman
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Cullman: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Parity lending rate provision (§ 8-8-1.1) | Any lender may charge the same rates as any federally or state-chartered or licensed lending institution in Alabama Source says: "may, on any loans or extensions of credit made by them, charge or impose the same rate of interest or finance charge". | Alabama Legislature — Code of Alabama 1975, § 8-8-1.1 as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 6% per annum without a written contract; 8% per annum by written contract Source says: "except by written contract is $6 upon $100 for one year"; "the rate of interest by written contract is not to exceed $8 upon $100 for one year". (Code text retrieved from the Alabama Legislature's official Code of Alabama service.) | Alabama Legislature — Code of Alabama 1975, § 8-8-1 as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted — deferred presentment services licensed by the supervisor; maximum advance $500; maximum fee 17.5% of amount advanced Source says: "a maximum fee on any deferred presentment transaction not to exceed 17.5 percent of the amount advanced"; "The maximum amount that may be advanced in any deferred presentment transaction is five hundred dollars ($500)". | Alabama State Banking Department — Deferred Presentment Services Act (Code of Alabama §§ 5-18A-1 et seq.) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Alabama Small Loan Act license required from the supervisor for loans under $1,500; interest capped at 3% per month on the first $200 and 2% per month on $200–$1,500 Source says: "No person shall engage in the business of lending in amounts of less than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500)"; "without first having obtained a license from the supervisor"; "not exceeding three percent a month on that part of the unpaid principal balance not in excess of two hundred dollars". | Alabama State Banking Department — Alabama Small Loan Act (Code of Alabama §§ 5-18-1 et seq.) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Alabama State Banking Department — Bureau of Loans (BOL) Source says: "The Bureau of Loans (hereinafter “the BOL”) was established in 1945". The BOL administers the Small Loan Act, Consumer Credit Act, Pawn Shop Act, Mortgage Brokers Licensing Act, Deferred Presentment Services Act and SAFE Act. | Alabama State Banking Department as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Cullman
The steps below are worth completing first when you borrow in Cullman:
- 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 Alabama using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.