Highland Park at a glance
- Population: 8,642 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 273rd-largest of 1,224 places in Texas.
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 Census recorded 8,865 residents here (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a loss of about 2.5% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Texas places: 273rd of the state's 1,224 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 78% of places in Texas are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 32.8311 latitude, -96.8012 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: University Park, TX (1 mi); Dallas, TX (3 mi); Farmers Branch, TX (8 mi); Addison, TX (9 mi); Irving, TX (10 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Nearest smaller communities: Cockrell Hill, TX (8 mi); Hutchins, TX (14 mi); Sunnyvale, TX (14 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Highland Park
A personal loan hands you a single sum and a repayment schedule of equal monthly installments over an agreed term.
APR, not the simple interest rate, reflects what the loan actually costs once fees are included; the personal loan calculator puts a figure on it.
Stretching the term lowers the monthly payment but raises the total interest you pay, so the smallest payment is not automatically the cheapest loan.
Pre-qualification is a good first filter: it shows the rate and amount a lender may offer before you agree to a full application and a hard inquiry.
Texas lending rules that apply in Highland Park
The sourced rows below are the rules a licensed lender must follow when lending in Texas, and therefore in Highland Park.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) Source says: The OCCC licenses and regulates non-depository lenders in the state of Texas. | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 10% per year maximum; a greater rate is usurious unless otherwise provided by law (Tex. Fin. Code § 302.001) Source says: The maximum rate or amount of interest is 10 percent a year except as otherwise provided by law. | Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal via licensed credit access businesses (payday/title-loan brokers); the third-party lender itself is not licensed (Tex. Fin. Code ch. 393) Source says: the credit access business that serves as the broker is the licensee in this regulated industry | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | License required for non-depository lenders charging more than 10% interest; Chapter 342 governs consumer loans (Tex. Fin. Code § 342.051) Source says: Non-depository lenders who engage in making, transacting, or collecting loans with a rate of interest greater than 10% must be licensed by the OCCC. | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Highland Park
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Highland Park:
- 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 Texas using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.