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 Lake Charles, LA
5 pawn shops in and around Lake Charles — 3.7 per 100,000 residents, compared with 3.2 across Louisiana. Call ahead to ask what they're buying and lending on today: inventory needs change weekly. Lake Charles ranks #13 of 19 Louisiana cities with pawn shops by shops per resident.
- Pawn shops
- 5
- Pawn shops per 100k
- 3.7
- Louisiana: 3.2
- Big-chain shops
- 1
- Payday & loan stores
- 8
- Population
- 135,457
Pawn shops in Lake Charles: addresses and phone numbers
| Pawn shop | Address | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big A Jewelry Pawn | 817 E Prien Lake Rd Lake Charles, LA 70601 | (337) 478-9643 | bigapawnshop.com |
| Cash America PawnChain | 3214 Gerstner Memorial Dr Lake Charles, LA 70601 | (337) 474-0875 | firstcash.com |
| CC's Pawn Superstore | 628 E Prien Lake Rd Lake Charles, LA 70601 | (337) 477-5565 | ccpawnsuperstore.com |
| Chad's Pawn Shop | 1720 Broad St Lake Charles, LA 70601 | (337) 436-0892 | chadspawnshop.com |
| Chad's Pawn Shop | 3629 Ryan St Lake Charles, LA 70605 | (337) 477-3440 | chadspawnshop.com |
Pawn shops vs payday loan stores in Lake Charles
Lake Charles has 8 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 5 pawn shops.
Pawn shops
5
3.7 per 100k residents
Payday & loan stores
8
5.9 per 100k residents
7 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Lake Charles: Security Finance (2), 1st Franklin Financial (1), ACE Cash Express (1), Advance America (1), Lendmark Financial Services (1).
Borrowing $350 for one month: payday vs pawn vs credit union
| Option | How it works | Cost for one month |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan (~780% APR) | $68.62 fee every 2 weeks, renewed once | $137.24 |
| Pawn loan (example: 20% a month) | You leave an item worth more than the loan; repay to get it back | $70.00 |
| Credit union PAL (28% APR + $20 fee) | Repaid in installments; membership required | $28.17 |
- Payday cost, share of monthly household income in Lake Charles
- 2.3%
- Pawn cost, share of monthly household income in Lake Charles
- 1.2%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.1 days of income
Payday: the LA maximum — $68.62 on a $350 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 Louisiana 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 LA | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Louisiana | Pawnbrokers are licensed and regulated by Louisiana; fees, terms and holding periods are set by state law | Allowed, up to $350; typical APR ~780% |
Lake Charles at a glance
- Median household income
- $70,381
- Louisiana: $62,722
- Poverty rate
- 19.0%
- Louisiana: 19.0%
- Households under $25,000
- 19.6%
- Louisiana: 22.6%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.1 days of income
Payday and installment loan stores in Lake Charles
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Lake Charles with addresses, phone numbers and hours.
| Address | Phone | Hours | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3239 Kirkman St Ste A Lake Charles, LA 70601 | (337) 477-6683 | — | 4.9 |
| Sunbelt Credit 3239 Kirkman St Suite C Lake Charles, LA 70601 | (337) 478-8585 | — | 4.4 |
| 1700 E Prien Lake Rd #7 Lake Charles, LA 70601 | (337) 480-6920 | — | 4.9 |
| 1702 LA-14 Louisiana 14 Lake Charles, LA 70601 | (337) 436-3323 | — | 4.9 |
| 2831 Gerstner Memorial Dr. Lake Charles, LA 70601 | (337) 477-6085 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 2827 Derek Dr Lake Charles, LA 70607 | (337) 656-1121 | — | 4.7 |
| 2936 Ryan St Lake Charles, LA 70601 | (337) 494-0602 | — | 4.9 |
| 1752 W Prien Lake Rd Lake Charles, LA 70601 | (337) 477-6414 | — | 3.8 |
Pawn shops near Lake Charles
More about Lake Charles
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.