Dunlap at a glance
- Population: 5,804 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 94th-largest of 344 places in Tennessee.
- 2020 Census base: 5,356 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: up about 8.4% from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Tennessee places: 94th by size among 344 communities (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: larger than about 73% of the Census places in Tennessee (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: mapped at 35.3675, -85.3898 by the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Soddy-Daisy, TN (14 mi); Signal Mountain, TN (16 mi); Red Bank, TN (18 mi); Chattanooga, TN (22 mi); Dayton, TN (23 mi), each a US Census place with its estimated population.
- Nearest smaller communities: Palmer, TN (10 mi); Powells Crossroads, TN (14 mi); Gruetli-Laager, TN (14 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Dunlap
The defining feature of a personal loan is the fixed installment: the same payment every month until the term ends.
APR is the figure that lets you compare like with like, since it wraps fees into the rate; run your own numbers with the personal loan calculator.
The term is the lever: extend it and the payment falls while total interest climbs; shorten it and the reverse happens.
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 Dunlap
The sourced rows below are the rules a licensed lender must follow when lending in Tennessee, and therefore in Dunlap.
| 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 Dunlap
A few practical steps will make the process in Dunlap 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.