Paxton at a glance
- Population: roughly 643 people; 358th of 411 places in Florida (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 558 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: roughly 15.2% higher than at the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Florida places: 358th out of 411 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it exceeds roughly 13% of Florida's Census places by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 30.9726 / -86.3118, per the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Florala, AL (3 mi); Samson, AL (18 mi); DeFuniak Springs, FL (22 mi); Opp, AL (22 mi); Crestview, FL (22 mi); US Census Bureau population estimates.
- Nearest smaller places: Lockhart, AL (4 mi); Laurel Hill, FL (9 mi); Onycha, AL (18 mi) (US Census Bureau estimates).
What a personal loan costs in Paxton
A personal loan gives you the full amount at once and spreads repayment over a set number of months at a fixed payment.
Judge an offer by its APR, which blends the interest rate with fees, and use the personal loan calculator to see the total cost.
Because interest accrues for longer, a longer term means a lower installment and a higher total cost — decide which matters more to you.
Pre-qualifying with several lenders takes minutes, uses a soft pull, and gives you real numbers to compare before any hard inquiry.
Florida lending rules that apply in Paxton
Every figure in the table below is sourced to a publisher with a date; where a state does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Paxton
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Paxton:
- 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.