Starke at a glance
- Population: 5,937 people, the 214th-largest place among Florida's 411 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 5,792 residents in the 2020 Census, per the US Census Bureau.
- 2020 to 2023 change: about 2.5% growth over the 2020 Census base (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Florida places: 214th in population of 411 places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it is larger than about 48% of the places in Florida (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 29.9475 / -82.1129, per the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Macclenny, FL (23 mi); Gainesville, FL (23 mi); Alachua, FL (25 mi); Green Cove Springs, FL (26 mi); Orange Park, FL (29 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Nearest smaller communities: Hampton, FL (6 mi); Lawtey, FL (7 mi); Raiford, FL (11 mi) (Census populations).
What a personal loan costs in Starke
A personal loan is an installment loan: you receive a lump sum and repay it in fixed monthly payments over a set term, usually two to seven years.
Compare offers on APR rather than the headline rate — the APR includes most fees, and you can model the total with our personal loan calculator.
The term is the lever: extend it and the payment falls while total interest climbs; shorten it and the reverse happens.
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.
Florida lending rules that apply in Starke
The sourced rows below are the rules a licensed lender must follow when lending in Florida, and therefore in Starke.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in Starke
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Starke:
- 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.