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.
Pawn Shops vs Payday Loans in Athens, AL
3 pawn shops in and around Athens — 5.0 per 100,000 residents, compared with 4.6 across Alabama. Call ahead to ask what they're buying and lending on today: inventory needs change weekly. Athens ranks #7 of 15 Alabama cities with pawn shops by shops per resident.
- Pawn shops
- 3
- Pawn shops per 100k
- 5.0
- Alabama: 4.6
- Big-chain shops
- 0
- Payday & loan stores
- 5
- Population
- 60,409
Pawn shops in Athens: addresses and phone numbers
| Pawn shop | Address | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens Pawn And Gun | 17268 Us-72 Athens, AL 35611 | (256) 233-2355 | bradfordspawnandgun.com |
| Bradford's Jewelry & Pawn | 314 S Marion St Athens, AL 35611 | (256) 252-3041 | bradfordsgunandpawn.com |
| Uncle Joe's Pawn & Gun, Llc | 1802 Us Highway 72 E Ste B Athens, AL 35611 | (256) 444-4940 | — |
Pawn shops vs payday loan stores in Athens
Athens has 5 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 3 pawn shops.
Pawn shops
3
5.0 per 100k residents
Payday & loan stores
5
8.3 per 100k residents
5 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Athens: 1st Franklin Financial (1), OneMain Financial (1), Security Finance (1), Sun Loan Company (1), TitleMax (1).
Borrowing $500 for one month: payday vs pawn vs credit union
| Option | How it works | Cost for one month |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan (~456% APR) | $87.50 fee every 2 weeks, renewed once | $175.00 |
| Pawn loan (example: 20% a month) | You leave an item worth more than the loan; repay to get it back | $100.00 |
| Credit union PAL (28% APR + $20 fee) | Repaid in installments; membership required | $31.67 |
- Payday cost, share of monthly household income in Athens
- 2.8%
- Pawn cost, share of monthly household income in Athens
- 1.6%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.0 days of income
Payday: the AL maximum — $87.50 on a $500 loan for 2 weeks, paid twice for a one-month loan. Pawn: an example rate of 20% a month; pawn fees and interest are set by Alabama law and vary by shop — ask for the total in writing. PAL: payday alternative loan from a federal credit union, capped at 28% APR plus an application fee of up to $20. Income: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Pawn loan vs payday loan: the key differences
| Pawn loan | Payday loan in AL | |
|---|---|---|
| What you need | An item of value (jewelry, gold, electronics, tools, firearms) and an ID | A bank account, proof of income and an ID |
| Credit check | None | Usually none |
| How much you get | A fraction of the item's resale value | Based on your income, up to the state limit |
| If you can't repay | The shop keeps the item; no collections and no credit damage | Fees pile up with renewals; the debt can go to collections |
| Bank account access | None | Lender can debit your account or cash your check |
| Rules in Alabama | Pawnbrokers are licensed and regulated by Alabama; fees, terms and holding periods are set by state law | Allowed, up to $500; typical APR ~456% |
Athens at a glance
- Median household income
- $74,404
- Alabama: $65,640
- Poverty rate
- 13.3%
- Alabama: 15.8%
- Households under $25,000
- 16.8%
- Alabama: 20.3%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.0 days of income
Payday and installment loan stores in Athens
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Athens with addresses, phone numbers and hours.
| Address | Phone | Hours | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22083 US-72 Ste Q Athens, AL 35613 | (256) 233-4200 | — | 4.8 |
| 1260 US Hwy 72 E f Athens, AL 35611 | (256) 232-7803 | — | 3.7 |
| 600 S Jefferson St G Athens, AL 35611 | (256) 771-2903 | — | 5.0 |
| 800 US Hwy 72 W Ste I Athens, AL 35611 | (256) 771-7999 | — | 4.9 |
| 1129 S Jefferson St Athens, AL 35611 | (256) 230-3137 | — | 4.9 |
Pawn shops near Athens
More about Athens
Pawn shop listings: © Overture Maps Foundation (CDLA-Permissive 2.0), including Foursquare OS Places and © OpenStreetMap contributors; filtered and de-duplicated by us. Population, income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Call ahead to confirm hours and what a shop buys or lends on.