Darlington at a glance
- Population: a Census-estimated 6,057, placing it 59th among South Carolina's 271 places (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 count put the population at 6,209 (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: about 2.4% lower than the 2020 Census base (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among South Carolina places: 59th-largest of 271 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: it is larger than about 78% of the places in South Carolina (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 34.3014, longitude -79.8672 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Florence, SC (9 mi); Hartsville, SC (13 mi); Bennettsville, SC (25 mi); Marion, SC (28 mi); Dillon, SC (30 mi); US Census Bureau population estimates.
- Smaller places close by: Quinby, SC (9 mi); Timmonsville, SC (12 mi); Society Hill, SC (14 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Darlington
The defining feature of a personal loan is the fixed installment: the same payment every month until the term ends.
The APR is the comparable price of a loan since it folds in fees; model any offer with the personal loan calculator first.
The term is the lever: extend it and the payment falls while total interest climbs; shorten it and the reverse happens.
Before you borrow, decide what the loan is for and whether the monthly payment fits a budget you can already meet without taking on new debt.
South Carolina lending rules that apply in Darlington
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Darlington: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Darlington
Before you share your details with a lender in Darlington:
- 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.