Cookeville at a glance
- Population: 36,657 — 23rd in Tennessee, which has 344 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 34,827 people counted in the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: roughly 5.3% higher than at the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Tennessee places: 23rd-largest of 344 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: roughly 93% of places in Tennessee rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 36.1469 latitude, -85.5127 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Lebanon, TN (47 mi); Murfreesboro, TN (55 mi); Gallatin, TN (56 mi); Mount Juliet, TN (56 mi); Smyrna, TN (58 mi); US Census Bureau population estimates.
- Nearest smaller communities: Algood, TN (5 mi); Baxter, TN (7 mi); Monterey, TN (14 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Cookeville
Most personal loans are unsecured, meaning no collateral is pledged, and they are repaid in equal installments over a fixed term.
Compare every quote on APR because it includes the fees the interest rate hides, and check the payment with our personal loan calculator.
The term is the lever: extend it and the payment falls while total interest climbs; shorten it and the reverse happens.
Set the loan amount from the expense itself rather than the maximum you are approved for, and keep the payment within your existing budget.
Tennessee lending rules that apply in Cookeville
Each row below is a Tennessee rule with its publisher and the date it was retrieved.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Cookeville
A few practical steps will make the process in Cookeville less costly:
- 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.