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 Morganton, NC
2 pawn shops in and around Morganton — 3.6 per 100,000 residents, compared with 3.5 across North Carolina. Call ahead to ask what they're buying and lending on today: inventory needs change weekly. Morganton ranks #24 of 34 North Carolina cities with pawn shops by shops per resident.
- Pawn shops
- 2
- Pawn shops per 100k
- 3.6
- North Carolina: 3.5
- Big-chain shops
- 0
- Payday & loan stores
- 3
- Population
- 56,201
Pawn shops in Morganton: addresses and phone numbers
| Pawn shop | Address | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Littleman's Trade & Pawn | 108 S Main St Drexel, NC 28655 | (828) 413-3326 | — |
| Smokefoot Trade & Loan | 138 N Sterling St Morganton, NC 28655 | (828) 438-9397 | smokefoot.com |
Pawn shops vs payday loan stores in Morganton
Morganton has 3 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 2 pawn shops.
Pawn shops
2
3.6 per 100k residents
Payday & loan stores
3
5.3 per 100k residents
3 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Morganton: Lendmark Financial Services (1), Mariner Finance (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 North Carolina) | $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 Morganton
- 3.4%
- Pawn cost, share of monthly household income in Morganton
- 2.2%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.7 days of income
Payday: a typical fee of $75 on a $500 loan for 2 weeks, paid twice for a one-month loan (North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 NC | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 North Carolina | Pawnbrokers are licensed and regulated by North Carolina; fees, terms and holding periods are set by state law | Storefront payday loans are not allowed in North Carolina |
Morganton at a glance
- Median household income
- $53,464
- North Carolina: $74,061
- Poverty rate
- 21.2%
- North Carolina: 13.2%
- Households under $25,000
- 21.8%
- North Carolina: 16.3%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.7 days of income
Payday and installment loan stores in Morganton
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Morganton with addresses, phone numbers and hours.
| Address | Phone | Hours | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| B-120 Morganton Heights Blvd Morganton, NC 28655 | (828) 433-0779 | — | 4.0 |
| 639 W Fleming Dr Morganton, NC 28655 | (828) 430-9450 | — | 4.9 |
| 202 W Fleming Dr Morganton, NC 28655 | (828) 437-5349 | — | 4.5 |
Pawn shops near Morganton
More about Morganton
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.