http://business.asiaone.com/news/valuemax-latest-pawnbroker-eye-sgx-listing
In the whole of the USA, the one place with the highest concentration of pawn shop is Las Vegas.....don't need to tell you what else is found in Las Vegas.
The existence of pawnshop is proportional to the level of economic desperation.
When I write this type of thing some unthinking pple will reply by saying " what is wrong within pawnshops, they are after all doing an honest business based on demand and supply'' . such responses misses the whole point ...of course, pawn is a perfectly legal business that provides a service to the people...it is better than loansharking. However, the growth of such businesses is correlated to economic desperation and tells us something unhealthy is going on in our society