Palmetto Bay at a glance
- Population: a Census-estimated 24,264, placing it 105th among Florida's 411 places (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 24,446 residents (US Census Bureau, 2020 Census).
- 2020 to 2023 change: down about 0.7% from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Florida places: 105th of the state's 411 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it exceeds roughly 74% of Florida's Census places by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: the Census Gazetteer places it at 25.6217, -80.3189.
- Nearest larger cities: Cutler Bay, FL (3 mi); Coral Gables, FL (6 mi); Miami, FL (13 mi); Homestead, FL (13 mi); Doral, FL (14 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Nearest smaller towns: Pinecrest, FL (3 mi); South Miami, FL (6 mi); West Miami, FL (10 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Palmetto Bay
With an installment loan the payment is fixed for the life of the loan, so the schedule is predictable from the first month to the last.
Judge an offer by its APR, which blends the interest rate with fees, and use the personal loan calculator to see the total cost.
Your credit, income and existing debts drive the rate a lender offers, while the term you pick sets how much interest builds on top.
A payment that strains the budget is a warning sign; a smaller loan or a little more saving time is the safer route.
Florida lending rules that apply in Palmetto Bay
Each row below is a Florida rule with its publisher and the date it was retrieved.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 18% per annum simple interest (loans/advances of $500,000 or less; loans above $500,000 are exempt from this cap) Source says: "it shall be usury and unlawful ... to ... charge ... a rate of interest greater than the equivalent of 18 percent per annum simple interest". | Florida Legislature (The Florida Senate, Online Sunshine) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted under license (deferred presentment providers; money services business license under chapter 560) Source says: "Businesses intending to engage in deferred presentment transactions must be licensed as a money services business under chapter 560, Florida Statutes". | Florida Office of Financial Regulation as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer finance loan license required (chapter 516) Source says: "A person must not engage in the business of making consumer finance loans ... unless ... the person first obtains a license from the office". | Florida Legislature (The Florida Senate, Online Sunshine) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) Source says: "The Office of Financial Regulation is a state-government agency created by the Governor and Cabinet to provide regulatory oversight for Florida's financial services industry". | Florida Office of Financial Regulation as of 2026-09-16 |
| Deferred presentment fee cap | 10% of the amount provided (transactions not repayable in installments) Source says: "A deferred presentment provider or its affiliate may not charge fees that exceed 10 percent of the currency or payment instrument provided". | Florida Legislature (The Florida Senate, Online Sunshine) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Palmetto Bay
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Palmetto Bay:
- 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 Florida using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.