Clearwater at a glance
- Population: 116,850, the 19th-largest community in Florida out of 411 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 Census recorded 117,428 residents here (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: roughly 0.5% fewer residents than at the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Florida places: 19th largest of 411 (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: larger than about 95% of the Census places in Florida (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: it sits at 27.9794, -82.7713 in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: St. Petersburg, FL (17 mi); Tampa, FL (18 mi); Lakeland, FL (50 mi); Orlando, FL (97 mi); Cape Coral, FL (104 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Nearest smaller communities: Belleair, FL (4 mi); Dunedin, FL (4 mi); Safety Harbor, FL (5 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Clearwater
Most personal loans are unsecured, meaning no collateral is pledged, and they are repaid in equal installments over a fixed term.
The advertised interest rate leaves out fees that the APR captures, which is why APR is the number to weigh; try the personal loan calculator before you apply.
The term is the lever: extend it and the payment falls while total interest climbs; shorten it and the reverse happens.
Before you borrow, decide what the loan is for and whether the monthly payment fits a budget you can already meet without taking on new debt.
Florida lending rules that apply in Clearwater
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Clearwater: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| 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 Clearwater
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Clearwater:
- 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.