Personal loans in Celina, TN
A lender serving Celina holds a Tennessee license and answers to a Tennessee regulator, not to any city office. At about 1,399 residents, Celina is bigger than roughly 39% of the places in Tennessee. Celina shed about 1.3% of its population between the 2020 base and the 2023 estimate. A lender that serves Tennessee operates under that state's lending statutes and its own supervisor. Begin with the payment, then weigh APR and total interest across lenders. The closest larger place is Livingston, TN about 15 miles away.
Borrowing in Celina: the local picture
Read the local figures below as context; read the sourced Tennessee table as the rulebook a lender here must follow.
- Population: the Census counts 1,399 residents in Celina (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 209th-largest figure among Tennessee's 344 places.
- Population trend: The 2020-to-2023 change is negative, near 1.3%.
- Size percentile: bigger than about 39% of the places in Tennessee.
- Location: it lies at 36.5476, -85.5038 in the Census Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Livingston (15 mi); Tompkinsville (15 mi); Albany (23 mi); Algood (24 mi); Cookeville (28 mi). Living near a larger metro rarely changes what is available in Celina.
- Nearest smaller towns: Gainesboro (15 mi); Gamaliel (17 mi); Burkesville (18 mi).
What Tennessee law requires in Celina
Each figure in the table below carries a publisher and a date; where the state publishes nothing, we point to the source rather than estimate.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
What a Celina personal loan looks like
When you apply for a personal loan in Celina, most lenders start with pre-qualification, which uses a soft credit pull and leaves your score alone. Checking your credit report before you apply — and disputing any error — is the single highest-leverage step toward a better rate. No advertised example rate is a quote for your own situation.
A pre-application checklist for Celina
Before you sign anything in Celina, run through this list:
- Order your free credit reports and dispute anything inaccurate — it is the cheapest way to move the rate you are offered.
- Price the payment first with our personal loan calculator before any lender quotes you.
- Pre-qualify with three or more lenders, then compare the APR rather than the interest rate.
- Confirm the lender holds a Tennessee licence by checking the regulator named above.
- Do not borrow more than the expense calls for, even if a lender approves a larger amount.
Common questions
What are my options in Celina if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Celina?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Celina?
Does comparing loans in Celina cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Gainesboro, TN — population 967
- Livingston, TN — population 4,040
- Tompkinsville, KY — population 2,286
- Burkesville, KY — population 1,388
- Gamaliel, KY — population 480
- Red Boiling Springs, TN — population 1,214
- Algood, TN — population 4,117
- Byrdstown, TN — population 812