Bluff City at a glance
- Population: 1,839 — 183rd in Tennessee, which has 344 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 1,820 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: up roughly 1.0% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Tennessee places: 183rd largest of 344 (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: larger than about 47% of the Census places in Tennessee (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 36.4595, -82.2779 (Census Gazetteer, US Census Bureau).
- Nearest larger cities: Bristol, TN (8 mi); Elizabethton, TN (9 mi); Johnson City, TN (10 mi); Bristol, VA (13 mi); Kingsport, TN (15 mi); US Census Bureau population estimates.
- Nearest smaller places: Watauga, TN (6 mi); Weber City, VA (19 mi); Nickelsville, VA (21 mi) (US Census Bureau estimates).
What a personal loan costs in Bluff City
Personal loans are installment credit — one lump sum, repaid in equal monthly installments across a fixed term you agree to up front.
The number to compare is the APR, not the interest rate, because the APR folds in origination fees and other charges; our personal loan calculator will show what a given amount and term would cost.
Your credit, income and existing debts drive the rate a lender offers, while the term you pick sets how much interest builds on top.
Pre-qualification is a good first filter: it shows the rate and amount a lender may offer before you agree to a full application and a hard inquiry.
Tennessee lending rules that apply in Bluff City
Every figure in the table below is sourced to a publisher with a date; where a state does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 10.75% per annum (maximum effective formula rate for written contracts, announced September 15, 2026) Source says: the maximum effective formula rate of interest in Tennessee is 10.75 percent per annum | Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions (TDFI) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Licensed; deferred presentment services (payday) lenders must obtain a TDFI license, including internet lenders (Tenn. Code Ann. § 45-17-103) Source says: deferred presentment services in this state through the use of the internet, facsimile, telephone, or other means without having first obtained a license | Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions (TDFI) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | TDFI Compliance Division licenses industrial loan & thrift companies, deferred presentment companies, flexible credit companies, and other consumer lenders Source says: The Compliance Division is responsible for the licensing and regulatory supervision of the following types of financial institutions operating in Tennessee | Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions (TDFI) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions (TDFI) Source says: The Department regulates banks, credit unions, trust companies, business and industrial development corporations, industrial loan and thrift companies | Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions (TDFI) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Bluff City
Here is a short checklist for comparing personal loans in Bluff City:
- Pull your free credit reports and dispute any error — it is the cheapest way to improve the rate you are offered.
- Run your figures through the personal loan calculator on this site so you know the payment before a lender quotes one.
- Pre-qualify with at least three lenders and compare the APR, not the interest rate.
- Check that the lender is licensed in Tennessee using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.