Personal loans in Lake Butler, FL
When you compare personal loans in Lake Butler, Florida, the figure to hold side by side is the APR, not the advertised rate. Lake Butler is home to roughly 2,015 people and stands 293rd by size out of 411 Census places in Florida. The trend between 2020 and 2023 is upward by roughly 1.6%. Which products a lender may offer locally in Florida follows from the state's consumer-lending framework. Get pre-qualified with several lenders, then compare APR rather than the headline rate. The nearest larger metro is Starke, FL about 15 miles away.
Borrowing in Lake Butler: the local picture
Most of what governs a Lake Butler loan is written in Florida law rather than in the city; the sourced notes below make that split concrete.
- Population: the Census counts 2,015 residents in Lake Butler (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate), the 293rd-largest figure among Florida's 411 places.
- Population trend: Higher by roughly 1.6% since the 2020 count.
- Size percentile: by population it outranks roughly 29% of the places in Florida.
- Location: 30.0177, -82.3434 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Starke (15 mi); Alachua (19 mi); High Springs (21 mi); Lake City (21 mi); Macclenny (22 mi). For most borrowers the comparison happens online, not at a branch.
- Smaller towns nearby: Raiford (7 mi); Worthington Springs (7 mi); Brooker (9 mi).
What Florida law requires in Lake Butler
Below are the Florida rules that reach a loan made in Lake Butler, each with the regulator that issued it.
| 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 |
What a Lake Butler personal loan looks like
A personal loan can fold higher-rate debt together, fund a planned expense, or absorb a one-off cost — provided the payment fits without new borrowing. Most scoring models treat rate-shopping within a focused window as one inquiry, so comparing offers early is usually safe. If the payment would strain your budget, a smaller loan or a longer saving period is the safer route.
A pre-application checklist for Lake Butler
A sensible order of operations for a loan in Lake Butler:
- Order your free credit reports and dispute anything inaccurate — it is the cheapest way to move the rate you are offered.
- Price the payment first with our personal loan calculator before any lender quotes you.
- Pre-qualify with three or more lenders, then compare the APR rather than the interest rate.
- Confirm the lender holds a Florida licence by checking the regulator named above.
- If debt is already a struggle, talk to a nonprofit credit counsellor before borrowing more.
Common questions
What are my options in Lake Butler if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Lake Butler?
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Does comparing loans in Lake Butler cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Worthington Springs, FL — population 389
- Raiford, FL — population 225
- Brooker, FL — population 336
- La Crosse, FL — population 320
- Starke, FL — population 5,937
- Hampton, FL — population 488
- Lawtey, FL — population 670
- Alachua, FL — population 10,770