Townsend at a glance
- Population: about 616 residents, ranking 269th of 344 Census places in Tennessee (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 549 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: an increase of about 12.2% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Tennessee places: 269th by size among 344 communities (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: ahead of around 22% of Tennessee places in population terms (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 35.6763, -83.7530 (Census Gazetteer, US Census Bureau).
- Nearest larger cities: Pigeon Forge, TN (14 mi); Maryville, TN (14 mi); Gatlinburg, TN (15 mi); Rockford, TN (15 mi); Alcoa, TN (15 mi), each a US Census place with its estimated population.
- Smaller places nearby: Fontana Dam, NC (17 mi); Pittman Center, TN (21 mi); Lake Santeetlah, NC (23 mi), per US Census Bureau estimates.
What a personal loan costs in Townsend
A personal loan is structured as an installment plan, with a set number of monthly payments and a fixed amount due each time.
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.
Your credit, income and existing debts drive the rate a lender offers, while the term you pick sets how much interest builds on top.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Tennessee lending rules that apply in Townsend
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Townsend
A few practical steps will make the process in Townsend 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.