Personal loans in Folly Beach, SC

The first question in Folly Beach is not the rate on offer but whether the payment fits; about 2,083 people live here under South Carolina lending law.

By the Personalloaner Editorial Team · Last updated 2026-09-16

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Folly Beach is one of 271 Census places in South Carolina; its 2,083 residents put it at 111th. Decide the purpose of the loan and your repayment plan before sharing any details with a Folly Beach lender. A 2020-to-2023 comparison shows Folly Beach up by about 0.4%. For the 2,083 people in Folly Beach, South Carolina runs its own consumer-lending licensing, and the sourced table below lists the figures that apply. The next larger city is James Island, SC about 5 miles away.

Folly Beach: population, trend and location

Only a few things actually differ by place — population, area, location, and the South Carolina rules a lender must follow — and they are below.

Population: about 2,083 people live here, which puts Folly Beach 111th of 271 Census places in South Carolina (Vintage 2023).
Population trend: A gain of roughly 0.4% between 2020 and 2023.
Absolute change: 8 residents added between 2020 and 2023.
Size percentile: roughly 59% of South Carolina places rank below Folly Beach.
Population density: about 167 people per square mile (Census land area 12.5 sq mi).
Land area rank: Folly Beach's 12.5 square miles rank 33rd of 271 places in South Carolina.
Water: Folly Beach holds about 6.36 square miles, the 4th-largest water area in South Carolina.
Share of South Carolina: Folly Beach holds about 0.1% of the state's population, some 2,083 people.
National rank: Folly Beach is 7,485th of 19,457 places nationwide.
Growth rank: Folly Beach ranks 146th among South Carolina's 271 places for the 2020-to-2023 change.
State comparison: South Carolina's places average +2.6% for 2020-to-2023, against Folly Beach's 0.4%.
Density in South Carolina: Folly Beach ranks 227th by people per square mile.
Density in context: Folly Beach's 167 people per square mile sit against a South Carolina median of 584.
Location: mapped by the US Census Bureau at 32.6693, -79.9606.
Nearest larger cities: James Island (5 mi); Charleston (11 mi); Mount Pleasant (11 mi); Seabrook Island (14 mi); Hollywood (15 mi). For most borrowers the comparison happens online, not at a branch.
Nearest smaller towns: Kiawah Island (7 mi); Sullivan's Island (10 mi); Rockville (14 mi).
Within a 50-mile radius: 13 smaller Census places.
At 100 miles: 47 larger Census places fall inside that radius.

Borrowing reach in Folly Beach

At roughly 167 people per square mile, Folly Beach is lightly settled; 15 larger places lie within 50 miles. Whether Folly Beach has a local branch or not, a South Carolina-licensed lender can serve its 2,083 people online on the same terms. The nearest bigger place is James Island, SC about 5 miles away.

Folly Beach on the map

Inside Folly Beach's boundaries lie roughly 12.5 square miles of land and 6.36 square miles of water. With 2,083 residents, the land area yields roughly 167 people per square mile. For the state's biggest city, Charleston, the distance is roughly 11 miles. Folly Beach has 15 larger places within a 50-mile radius. By land area it ranks 33rd of 271 South Carolina places.

The South Carolina lending rules that reach Folly Beach

These are South Carolina's sourced lending facts as they reach Folly Beach's 2,083 residents; the state has no city-level rate rule.

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
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

What a Folly Beach borrower is actually offered

A Folly Beach personal loan is an installment loan: a lump sum, then fixed monthly payments over a set term, priced off your credit rather than its 2,083 residents. Because pricing is borrower-level, two people in Folly Beach can be quoted different APRs on the same amount and term. A longer term lowers the monthly payment on a Folly Beach loan but raises total interest, so the smallest payment is not the cheapest loan.

A practical checklist for Folly Beach borrowers

Before you hand your details to a lender in Folly Beach, where the population is near 2,083:

Get all three reports, dispute anything wrong, and keep the corrected file for your applications.
Price the payment first with our personal loan calculator before any lender quotes you.
Shop at least three lenders and judge them on APR and total cost.
Check the South Carolina regulator's records to confirm the lender is licensed here.
Decide the purpose and how you will repay it before approaching any lender.
If debt is already a struggle, talk to a nonprofit credit counsellor before borrowing more.
Read the disclosure for an origination fee and any prepayment penalty before signing.

None of these steps is Folly Beach-specific: the same South Carolina licensing and disclosure rules reach all 2,083 residents.

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Common questions

What are my options in Folly Beach if my credit is poor?

Borrowing is still possible, but expect a higher APR and a smaller approved amount. Lenders that accept lower scores hold statewide licences, so what is open to you in Folly Beach is the same as anywhere in South Carolina.

What loan size can I expect in Folly Beach?

Most personal loans sit somewhere between $1,000 and $50,000, though the figure you are approved for turns on the lender, your income and your credit. Model the monthly payment first with our personal loan calculator.

Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Folly Beach?

For an unsecured personal loan, no — there is nothing to pledge. A secured loan, such as home equity or one secured by a vehicle, does require collateral, and default puts that asset at risk.

Does comparing loans in Folly Beach cost me credit score points?

Not during pre-qualification, which normally uses a soft pull and leaves your score alone. Submitting a full application triggers a hard inquiry, which can trim a few points briefly.

Nearby places

James Island, SC — population 11,903
Kiawah Island, SC — population 1,975
Charleston, SC — population 155,369
Sullivan's Island, SC — population 1,922
Mount Pleasant, SC — population 95,232
Rockville, SC — population 138
Seabrook Island, SC — population 2,103
Isle of Palms, SC — population 4,370