West Palm Beach at a glance
- Population: a Census-estimated 124,130, placing it 17th among Florida's 411 places (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 117,322 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a gain of roughly 5.8% between the 2020 count and the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Florida places: 17th-largest of 411 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: roughly 96% of places in Florida rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 26.7451, -80.1270 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Coral Springs, FL (34 mi); Port St. Lucie, FL (40 mi); Fort Lauderdale, FL (42 mi); Hollywood, FL (49 mi); Pembroke Pines, FL (52 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Nearest smaller communities: Mangonia Park, FL (3 mi); Haverhill, FL (4 mi); Riviera Beach, FL (4 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in West Palm Beach
A personal loan hands you a single sum and a repayment schedule of equal monthly installments over an agreed term.
Two loans can share an interest rate and still differ in APR once fees are counted, so compare APR; our personal loan calculator shows the difference over the full term.
The offer you receive reflects the lender's read of your credit, income and debts, and the term controls the balance between payment size and total interest.
Set the loan amount from the expense itself rather than the maximum you are approved for, and keep the payment within your existing budget.
Florida lending rules that apply in West Palm Beach
The Florida rate caps and licensing rules that reach West Palm Beach are listed below, each with its source and retrieval date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to compare offers in West Palm Beach
Before you share your details with a lender in West Palm Beach:
- 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.