Cottageville at a glance
- Population: 711 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 175th-largest of 271 places in South Carolina.
- 2020 Census base: 701 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: an increase of about 1.4% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among South Carolina places: 175th of the state's 271 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it exceeds roughly 35% of South Carolina's Census places by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 32.9362, -80.4803 (Census Gazetteer, US Census Bureau).
- Nearest larger cities: Walterboro, SC (12 mi); Ridgeville, SC (15 mi); Summerville, SC (18 mi); Ravenel, SC (18 mi); St. George, SC (18 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Nearest smaller communities: Reevesville, SC (20 mi); Smoaks, SC (22 mi); Williams, SC (22 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Cottageville
With an installment loan the payment is fixed for the life of the loan, so the schedule is predictable from the first month to the last.
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.
Stretching the term lowers the monthly payment but raises the total interest you pay, so the smallest payment is not automatically the cheapest loan.
Work out the payment you can comfortably carry each month first, then borrow no more than that figure supports.
South Carolina lending rules that apply in Cottageville
Where a figure is not published by the state, the row points to the source instead of guessing.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Payday lending status | Legal for licensed deferred presentment providers; max $550 advanced at one time; fee limited to 15% of principal; term up to 31 days; 2025 repeal bill S.379 introduced but not enacted. Source says: "The total amount advanced by a licensee to any customer at one time for deferred presentment or deposit may not exceed five hundred fifty dollars" (34-39-180(B)); fees capped at "fifteen percent of the principal amount of the transaction" (34-39-180(E)). | South Carolina Legislature (S.C. Code of Laws) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer Finance Division licenses and regulates companies making consumer loans with APRs exceeding 12% (Title 37 Consumer Protection Code; Consumer Finance Act, Title 34, ch. 29). Source says: "The Consumer Finance Division (CFD) licenses and regulates the business activities of all companies... that make consumer loans which have annual percentage rates exceeding 12%." | South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions - Consumer Finance Division as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions - Consumer Finance Division (Office of the Commissioner of Consumer Finance) Source says: "South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions Office of the Commissioner of Consumer Finance" (site heading). | South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions - Consumer Finance Division as of 2026-09-16 |
| Supervised loan threshold (state-specific rule) | Consumer loans with a finance charge above 12%/year are "supervised loans" requiring licensed supervised lenders; supervised lenders may charge up to 18% per year on unpaid balances. Source says: "Supervised loan means a consumer loan in which the rate of the loan finance charge exceeds twelve percent per year" (37-3-301); "eighteen percent per year on the unpaid balances of principal" (37-3-201(2)(c)). | South Carolina Legislature (S.C. Code of Laws) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 8.75% per annum statutory legal rate where no rate is agreed (judgment rate: Wall Street Journal prime + 4 points). Source says: "the legal interest shall be at the rate of eight and three-fourths percent per annum" (S.C. Code 34-31-20(A)). | South Carolina Legislature (S.C. Code of Laws) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Cottageville
The order below is a sensible way to approach a loan in Cottageville:
- 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 South Carolina using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.