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 Sugar Land, TX
4 credit unions are headquartered in Sugar Land, with 119,331 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
- 4
- Members
- 119,331
- Federal
- 3
- State-chartered
- 1
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Sugar Land
Sugar Land has 4 credit unions headquartered here and just 1 payday, installment or title loan store. Local credit unions count 119,331 members — roughly 71 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
4
2.4 per 100k residents
119,331 members
Payday & loan stores
1
0.6 per 100k residents
1 store chain
Biggest loan store chains in Sugar Land: OneMain Financial (1).
What a $500 loan costs over 3 months
| Option | Payment | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan, re-borrowed 6 times (~662%+ APR) | $75.00 every 2 weeks | $450.00 |
| Credit union PAL, 3 monthly payments (28% APR + $20 fee) | $174.50 a month | $43.51 |
- You keep with a credit union PAL over 3 months
- $406.49 payday costs 10× more
Payday: a typical fee of $75 on a $500 loan for 2 weeks (TX limits are not set in dollars), paid 6 times in 3 months. PAL: payday alternative loan from a federal credit union, capped at 28% APR with an application fee of up to $20.
What it means for a household in Sugar Land
- Median household income
- $135,944
- Payday fee of $75, share of two weeks' income
- 1.4%
- Hours of work to pay the $75 fee
- 2.8 hours
- PAL payment of $174.50, share of monthly income
- 1.5%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 1.1 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 6.0%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 5.2%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Sugar Land are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Texas
| Payday loan in TX | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Allowed | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Loan amount | No limit (CSO Model) | $200 – $2,000 |
| Fee limit | No state cap (fees set by city ordinances) (Varies) | Application fee up to $20 |
| Typical APR | ~662%+ | 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: Texas law as summarized on our Texas 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 Sugar Land
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Federal Credit UnionFederal | 16320 Kensington Dr Sugar Land, TX 77479 | 60,128 | houstonfcu.org |
| Schlumberger Employees Credit UnionState-chartered | 205 Industrial Blvd Sugar Land, TX 77478 | 28,138 | secutx.com |
| Nizari Progressive Federal Credit UnionFederal | 14090 SW Freeway Suite 260 Sugar Land, TX 77478 | 19,114 | nizaricu.org |
| Pioneer Mutual Federal Credit UnionFederal | 1521 Lake Pointe Pkwy Sugar Land, TX 77478 | 11,951 | pioneeronline.org |
Payday and installment loan stores in Sugar Land
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Sugar Land 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 Lakeside Plaza Dr Sugar Land, TX 77479 | (281) 293-9622 | — | 4.2 |
More about Sugar Land
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 Sugar Land 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.