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, GA
3 pawn shops in and around Athens — 2.3 per 100,000 residents, compared with 5.0 across Georgia. Call ahead to ask what they're buying and lending on today: inventory needs change weekly. Athens ranks #39 of 46 Georgia cities with pawn shops by shops per resident.
- Pawn shops
- 3
- Pawn shops per 100k
- 2.3
- Georgia: 5.0
- Big-chain shops
- 0
- Payday & loan stores
- 8
- Population
- 130,330
Pawn shops in Athens: addresses and phone numbers
| Pawn shop | Address | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens Pawn Shop | 2361 W Broad St Athens, GA 30606 | (706) 546-6872 | athenspawnshop.com |
| Gateway Jewelry and Pawn | 3970 Atlanta Hwy Ste. A Athens, GA 30606 | (706) 548-7770 | shop.gatewayjewelryandpawn.com |
| Gateway Jewelry and Pawn | 401-7 North Ave Athens, GA 30601 | (706) 354-4653 | shop.gatewayjewelryandpawn.com |
Pawn shops vs payday loan stores in Athens
Athens has 8 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 3 pawn shops.
Pawn shops
3
2.3 per 100k residents
Payday & loan stores
8
6.1 per 100k residents
6 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Athens: 1st Franklin Financial (2), TitleMax (2), Check Into Cash (1), Lendmark Financial Services (1), OneMain Financial (1).
Borrowing $500 for one month: payday vs pawn vs credit union
| Option | How it works | Cost for one month |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan (not legal in Georgia) | $75.00 fee every 2 weeks, renewed once | $150.00 |
| 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
- 3.4%
- Pawn cost, share of monthly household income in Athens
- 2.3%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.8 days of income
Payday: a typical fee of $75 on a $500 loan for 2 weeks, paid twice for a one-month loan (Georgia payday rules are not set in dollars or payday loans are not allowed). Pawn: an example rate of 20% a month; pawn fees and interest are set by Georgia 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.
Pawn loan vs payday loan: the key differences
| Pawn loan | Payday loan in GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Georgia | Pawnbrokers are licensed and regulated by Georgia; fees, terms and holding periods are set by state law | Storefront payday loans are not allowed in Georgia |
Athens at a glance
- Median household income
- $52,551
- Georgia: $79,251
- Poverty rate
- 25.8%
- Georgia: 13.6%
- Households under $25,000
- 25.4%
- Georgia: 15.7%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1021 Parkway Blvd Suite 105 Athens, GA 30606 | (706) 549-4500 | — | 5.0 |
| 1550 Lexington Rd Suite D Athens, GA 30605 | (706) 548-6357 | — | 4.9 |
| 115 Gaines School Rd Athens, GA 30605 | (706) 549-5155 | — | 5.0 |
| 2225 W Broad St Athens, GA 30606 | (706) 227-0113 | — | 5.0 |
| 4014 Lexington Rd Athens, GA 30605 | (706) 613-1910 | — | 4.8 |
| 1720 Epps Bridge Pkwy #104 Athens, GA 30606 | (706) 621-5102 | — | 4.3 |
| 1860 S Barnett Shoals Rd Ste 405 Athens, GA 30605 | (706) 549-5360 | — | 4.2 |
| 3579 Atlanta Hwy Athens, GA 30606 | (706) 548-2270 | — | 4.8 |
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.