Georgetown at a glance
- Population: 8,714 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 48th-largest of 271 places in South Carolina.
- 2020 Census base: 8,403 people (US Census Bureau, 2020 Census count).
- 2020 to 2023 change: up roughly 3.7% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among South Carolina places: 48th of the state's 271 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: roughly 82% of South Carolina's places have fewer residents (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: it sits at 33.3724, -79.2808 in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Myrtle Beach, SC (33 mi); Conway, SC (35 mi); Moncks Corner, SC (42 mi); North Myrtle Beach, SC (46 mi); Goose Creek, SC (50 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Nearest smaller places: Pawleys Island, SC (10 mi); Andrews, SC (17 mi); McClellanville, SC (22 mi) (US Census Bureau estimates).
What a personal loan costs in Georgetown
A personal loan gives you the full amount at once and spreads repayment over a set number of months at a fixed payment.
Compare every quote on APR because it includes the fees the interest rate hides, and check the payment with our personal loan calculator.
A lender weighs your credit profile, income and debts when setting the rate, and a longer term lowers the payment at the cost of more interest overall.
Most lenders offer pre-qualification with a soft credit pull, so you can see an estimated rate and amount without affecting your credit score.
South Carolina lending rules that apply in Georgetown
Every figure in the table below is sourced to a publisher with a date; where a state does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Georgetown
Run through this list before signing anything in Georgetown:
- 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.