South Carthage at a glance
- Population: 1,580 people, the 200th-largest place among Tennessee's 344 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 1,487 people counted in the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: up roughly 6.3% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Tennessee places: 200th out of 344 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it is larger than about 42% of the places in Tennessee (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: the Census Gazetteer places it at 36.2397, -85.9575.
- Nearest larger cities: Carthage, TN (1 mi); Watertown, TN (14 mi); Hartsville/Trousdale, TN (15 mi); Baxter, TN (19 mi); Lafayette, TN (20 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Nearest smaller towns: Gordonsville, TN (4 mi); Alexandria, TN (12 mi); Dowelltown, TN (16 mi) — US Census Bureau populations.
What a personal loan costs in South Carthage
A personal loan is structured as an installment plan, with a set number of monthly payments and a fixed amount due each time.
Judge an offer by its APR, which blends the interest rate with fees, and use the personal loan calculator to see the total cost.
Your credit, income and existing debts drive the rate a lender offers, while the term you pick sets how much interest builds on top.
Before you borrow, decide what the loan is for and whether the monthly payment fits a budget you can already meet without taking on new debt.
Tennessee lending rules that apply in South Carthage
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | TDFI Compliance Division licenses industrial loan & thrift companies, deferred presentment companies, flexible credit companies, and other consumer lenders Source says: The Compliance Division is responsible for the licensing and regulatory supervision of the following types of financial institutions operating in Tennessee | Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions (TDFI) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions (TDFI) Source says: The Department regulates banks, credit unions, trust companies, business and industrial development corporations, industrial loan and thrift companies | Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions (TDFI) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 10.75% per annum (maximum effective formula rate for written contracts, announced September 15, 2026) Source says: the maximum effective formula rate of interest in Tennessee is 10.75 percent per annum | Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions (TDFI) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Licensed; deferred presentment services (payday) lenders must obtain a TDFI license, including internet lenders (Tenn. Code Ann. § 45-17-103) Source says: deferred presentment services in this state through the use of the internet, facsimile, telephone, or other means without having first obtained a license | Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions (TDFI) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in South Carthage
A few practical steps will make the process in South Carthage less costly:
- 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 Tennessee using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.