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 North Charleston, SC
4 pawn shops in and around North Charleston — 5.3 per 100,000 residents, compared with 3.2 across South Carolina. Call ahead to ask what they're buying and lending on today: inventory needs change weekly. North Charleston ranks #6 of 24 South Carolina cities with pawn shops by shops per resident.
- Pawn shops
- 4
- Pawn shops per 100k
- 5.3
- South Carolina: 3.2
- Big-chain shops
- 1
- Payday & loan stores
- 6
- Population
- 75,617
Pawn shops in North Charleston: addresses and phone numbers
| Pawn shop | Address | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash America PawnChain | 4400 Dorchester Rd Ste 112 Charleston, SC 29405 | (843) 744-1136 | cashamerica.com |
| Money Man Pawn | 2000 McMillan Ave North Charleston, SC 29405 | (843) 744-6161 | bamthemoneyman.com |
| Money Man Pawn | 5251 Dorchester Rd. North Charleston, SC 29418 | — | — |
| Palmetto Pawn Shop | 3355 Rivers Ave North Charleston, SC 29405 | (843) 641-0085 | — |
Pawn shops vs payday loan stores in North Charleston
North Charleston has 6 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 4 pawn shops.
Pawn shops
4
5.3 per 100k residents
Payday & loan stores
6
7.9 per 100k residents
4 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in North Charleston: ACE Cash Express (2), Advance America (2), Security Finance (1), TitleMax (1).
Borrowing $500 for one month: payday vs pawn vs credit union
| Option | How it works | Cost for one month |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan (~391% APR) | $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 North Charleston
- 2.9%
- Pawn cost, share of monthly household income in North Charleston
- 1.9%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.4 days of income
Payday: the SC maximum — $75 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 South 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. Income: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Pawn loan vs payday loan: the key differences
| Pawn loan | Payday loan in SC | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 South Carolina | Pawnbrokers are licensed and regulated by South Carolina; fees, terms and holding periods are set by state law | Allowed, up to $500; typical APR ~391% |
North Charleston at a glance
- Median household income
- $61,687
- South Carolina: $69,406
- Poverty rate
- 14.2%
- South Carolina: 14.4%
- Households under $25,000
- 15.6%
- South Carolina: 17.7%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.4 days of income
Payday and installment loan stores in North Charleston
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in North Charleston with addresses, phone numbers and hours.
| Address | Phone | Hours | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 McMillan Ave B North Charleston, SC 29405 | (843) 747-7544 | — | 4.9 |
| 4391 Dorchester Rd Suite 150 North Charleston, SC 29405 | (843) 566-0018 | — | 4.9 |
| 4400 Dorchester Rd., Suite 102 North Charleston, SC 29405 | (843) 740-9110 | Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Sat 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 5101 Ashley Phosphate Rd., Ste. 115 North Charleston, SC 29418 | (843) 552-9630 | Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Sat 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 4365 Dorchester Rd #103 North Charleston, SC 29405 | (843) 744-9911 | — | 5.0 |
| 5381 Dorchester Rd Charleston, SC 29418 | (843) 767-6889 | — | 5.0 |
Pawn shops near North Charleston
More about North Charleston
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.