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 Allentown, PA
4 pawn shops in and around Allentown — 2.3 per 100,000 residents, compared with 1.0 across Pennsylvania. Call ahead to ask what they're buying and lending on today: inventory needs change weekly. Allentown ranks #4 of 25 Pennsylvania cities with pawn shops by shops per resident.
- Pawn shops
- 4
- Pawn shops per 100k
- 2.3
- Pennsylvania: 1.0
- Big-chain shops
- 2
- Payday & loan stores
- 3
- Population
- 176,993
Pawn shops in Allentown: addresses and phone numbers
| Pawn shop | Address | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport Pawn | 1195 Airport Rd Allentown, PA 18109 | (610) 351-5051 | airportpawn.com |
| Atown Pawn | 929 W Hamilton St Allentown, PA 18101 | (610) 439-2404 | atownpawnshop.com |
| Pawn AmericaChain | 923 Hamilton St Allentown, PA 18101 | (610) 776-1767 | pawnamericainc.net |
| Pawn PlusChain | 636 N 7th St Allentown, PA 18102 | (833) 272-9648 | pawnplus.com |
Pawn shops vs payday loan stores in Allentown
Allentown has 4 pawn shops and 3 payday, installment and title loan stores.
Pawn shops
4
2.3 per 100k residents
Payday & loan stores
3
1.7 per 100k residents
2 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Allentown: OneMain Financial (2), Mariner Finance (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 Pennsylvania) | $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 Allentown
- 2.7%
- Pawn cost, share of monthly household income in Allentown
- 1.8%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.2 days of income
Payday: a typical fee of $75 on a $500 loan for 2 weeks, paid twice for a one-month loan (Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 PA | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Pennsylvania | Pawnbrokers are licensed and regulated by Pennsylvania; fees, terms and holding periods are set by state law | Storefront payday loans are not allowed in Pennsylvania |
Allentown at a glance
- Median household income
- $66,938
- Pennsylvania: $81,657
- Poverty rate
- 16.9%
- Pennsylvania: 11.9%
- Households under $25,000
- 18.4%
- Pennsylvania: 15.3%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.2 days of income
Payday and installment loan stores in Allentown
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Allentown with addresses, phone numbers and hours.
| Address | Phone | Hours | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3321 Hamilton Blvd Allentown, PA 18103 | (610) 437-2345 | — | 3.8 |
| 5000 Tilghman St Ste 150 Allentown, PA 18104 | (610) 814-3301 | — | 4.7 |
| 1380 Hanover Ave Allentown, PA 18109 | (484) 550-6958 | — | 4.8 |
Pawn shops near Allentown
More about Allentown
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.