Atlantic Beach at a glance
- Population: 13,182, the 153rd-largest community in Florida out of 411 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 13,509 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: about 2.4% below the 2020 Census base (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Florida places: 153rd out of 411 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: roughly 63% of places in Florida rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 30.3396 latitude, -81.3967 longitude (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities (within 120 miles): Jacksonville Beach, FL (5 mi); Jacksonville, FL (16 mi); Fernandina Beach, FL (22 mi); St. Marys, GA (31 mi); St. Augustine, FL (31 mi) (US Census Bureau populations).
- Nearest smaller towns: Neptune Beach, FL (2 mi); Orange Park, FL (22 mi); Green Cove Springs, FL (30 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Atlantic Beach
A personal loan is structured as an installment plan, with a set number of monthly payments and a fixed amount due each time.
APR is the figure that lets you compare like with like, since it wraps fees into the rate; run your own numbers with the personal loan calculator.
Lenders weigh your credit history, income and debts when they set the rate, and the term you choose then determines how that rate compounds into total cost.
A useful rule is to keep the new payment inside the room your budget already has, so the loan eases pressure instead of adding to it.
Florida lending rules that apply in Atlantic Beach
The Florida rate caps and licensing rules that reach Atlantic Beach are listed below, each with its source and retrieval date.
| 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 Atlantic Beach
Before you commit to a personal loan in Atlantic Beach, work through these steps:
- 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.