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 Tucson, AZ
5 credit unions are headquartered in Tucson, with 547,203 members in total. Credit unions are member-owned and often offer small personal loans and payday alternative loans (PALs) at far lower rates than payday lenders.
- Credit unions
- 5
- Members
- 547,203
- Federal
- 4
- State-chartered
- 1
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Tucson
Tucson has 36 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 5 credit unions headquartered here — about 7.2 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 547,203 members — roughly 60 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
5
0.5 per 100k residents
547,203 members
Payday & loan stores
36
3.9 per 100k residents
9 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Tucson: TitleMax (18), ACE Cash Express (4), Lendmark Financial Services (4), OneMain Financial (4), Mariner Finance (2).
Borrowing $500 for 6 months in Tucson
| Option | Payment | Total cost of borrowing |
|---|---|---|
| Installment loan at the Arizona 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 Arizona) | $75.00 every 2 weeks | $975.00 |
- Monthly payment at the Arizona rate cap vs median monthly household income
- 1.6%
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 Tucson
- Median household income
- $68,599
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.1 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 17.5%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 15.1%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Tucson are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Arizona
| Payday loan in AZ | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Not allowed — storefront payday loans are banned | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Rate cap | Capped at 36% APR | 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: Arizona law as summarized on our Arizona 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 headquartered in Tucson
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vantage West Credit UnionState-chartered | 2480 N. Arcadia Ave Tucson, AZ 85712 | 214,956 | vantagewest.org |
| Hughes Federal Credit UnionFederal | PO Box 11900 Tucson, AZ 85734 | 188,025 | hughesfcu.org |
| Pima Federal Credit UnionFederal | 6850 N Oracle Rd Tucson, AZ 85704 | 74,422 | pimafederal.org |
| Tucson Federal Credit UnionFederal | PO Box 42435 Tucson, AZ 85733 | 52,073 | tucsonfcu.com |
| Pyramid Federal Credit UnionFederal | PO Box 12100 Tucson, AZ 85732 | 17,727 | pyramidfcu.com |
Payday and installment loan stores in Tucson
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Tucson with addresses, phone numbers and hours. Check a credit union first — a PAL or small personal loan usually costs far less.
| Address | Phone | Hours | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1201 W St Marys Rd #103 Tucson, AZ 85745 | (520) 917-1907 | — | 5.0 |
| 1370 W Prince Rd Tucson, AZ 85705 | (520) 696-2000 | — | 5.0 |
| 1725 W Ajo Wy #101 Tucson, AZ 85713 | (520) 295-8999 | — | 4.9 |
| 1902 E Irvington Rd #100 Tucson, AZ 85714 | (520) 917-4637 | — | 4.9 |
| 2955 W Valencia Rd Ste 121 Tucson, AZ 85746 | (520) 918-0049 | — | 5.0 |
| 2960 S 6th Ave Ste 120 Tucson, AZ 85713 | (520) 917-4644 | — | 5.0 |
| 3662 W Ina Rd Ste 180 Tucson, AZ 85741 | (520) 917-4643 | — | 4.9 |
| 3916 E Grant Rd Tucson, AZ 85712 | (520) 917-4652 | — | 4.9 |
| 4042 E 22nd St Tucson, AZ 85711 | (520) 917-0158 | — | 4.9 |
| 4055 N Oracle Rd Ste D Tucson, AZ 85705 | (520) 204-1812 | — | 4.9 |
| 4902 S 12th Ave Tucson, AZ 85706 | (520) 917-2192 | — | 5.0 |
| 5095 N La Cañada Dr Ste 185 Tucson, AZ 85704 | (520) 917-0393 | — | 5.0 |
| 5470 E Speedway Blvd Ste A-104 Tucson, AZ 85712 | (520) 407-6011 | — | 4.9 |
| 615 E Grant Rd Ste 131 Tucson, AZ 85705 | (520) 917-4013 | — | 4.9 |
| 6383 E 22nd St Ste. 121 Tucson, AZ 85710 | (520) 917-0599 | — | 5.0 |
| 6915 E Broadway Blvd Tucson, AZ 85710 | (520) 886-9167 | — | 5.0 |
| 7221 E Golf Links Rd Ste. 209 Tucson, AZ 85730 | (520) 917-4970 | — | 4.9 |
| 8295 N Cortaro Rd Ste. 119 Tucson, AZ 85743 | (520) 917-0521 | — | 5.0 |
| 1850 E Irvington Rd Tucson, AZ 85714 | (520) 889-7888 | — | 4.9 |
| 2847 S 6th Ave Ste 5 Tucson, AZ 85713 | (520) 624-1144 | — | 4.9 |
| 77 S Kolb Rd Tucson, AZ 85710 | (520) 298-1332 | — | 4.9 |
| 850 E Fort Lowell Rd Tucson, AZ 85719 | (520) 628-3643 | — | 5.0 |
| 4528 E Broadway Blvd Tucson, AZ 85711 | (520) 319-8750 | — | 4.5 |
| 5373 S Calle Santa Cruz #233 Tucson, AZ 85706 | (520) 367-2035 | — | 5.0 |
| 680 W Prince Rd #100 Tucson, AZ 85705 | (520) 887-0050 | — | 4.1 |
| 9545 E Old Spanish Trail Suite 127 Tucson, AZ 85748 | (520) 485-0037 | — | — |
| 1217 W Irvington Rd #161 Tucson, AZ 85714 | (520) 790-2955 | — | 3.9 |
| 3400 E Speedway Blvd Ste 208 Tucson, AZ 85716 | (520) 526-7244 | — | 3.8 |
| 6330 E Golf Links Rd #9 Tucson, AZ 85730 | (520) 747-1376 | — | 3.8 |
| 6781 N Thornydale Rd #243 Tucson, AZ 85741 | (520) 809-7731 | — | 4.0 |
| 5331 S Calle Santa Cruz Ste 115 Tucson, AZ 85706 | (520) 367-2882 | — | 4.8 |
| 5720B E Broadway Blvd Ste 101-B Tucson, AZ 85711 | (520) 333-5140 | — | 4.9 |
| 2245 E Irvington Rd Ste 110 Tucson, AZ 85714 | (520) 807-9348 | — | 4.9 |
| 3386 S 6th Ave Ste 110 Tucson, AZ 85713 | (520) 200-4091 | — | 4.8 |
| 2351 N Alvernon Way #100 Tucson, AZ 85712 | (520) 881-2274 | — | 4.7 |
| 3430 E Sunrise Dr #150 Tucson, AZ 85718 | (520) 618-8500 | — | 4.8 |
More about Tucson
Only credit union headquarters are listed, with the address on file with the NCUA; phone numbers and branch locations are on each credit union’s website. Many credit unions also have branches in Tucson and nearby — check membership requirements, as some are open to anyone who lives or works in the area. Loan stores: storefront locations of major payday, installment and title lenders; call ahead to confirm hours.