Cottage Grove at a glance
- Population: about 66, 344th by size in Tennessee of 344 places (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 count put the population at 66 (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: essentially flat from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Tennessee places: 344th-largest of 344 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: it is larger than about 0% of the places in Tennessee (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 36.3782, longitude -88.4790 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Puryear, TN (9 mi); Paris, TN (11 mi); Hazel, KY (12 mi); Henry, TN (13 mi); Gleason, TN (13 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Nearest smaller towns: North Lilbourn, MO (65 mi); Catron, MO (70 mi); Carrsville, KY (71 mi) — US Census Bureau populations.
What a personal loan costs in Cottage Grove
Personal loans are installment credit — one lump sum, repaid in equal monthly installments across a fixed term you agree to up front.
Two loans can share an interest rate and still differ in APR once fees are counted, so compare APR; our personal loan calculator shows the difference over the full term.
A longer repayment period spreads the cost and increases the interest paid, so compare total cost, not just the monthly figure.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Tennessee lending rules that apply in Cottage Grove
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 Cottage Grove
A few practical steps will make the process in Cottage Grove 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.