Hillcrest Heights at a glance
- Population: a Census-estimated 274, placing it 392nd among Florida's 411 places (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 248 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: a gain of roughly 10.5% between the 2020 count and the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Florida places: 392nd largest of 411 (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: roughly 5% of places in Florida rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: the Census Gazetteer places it at 27.8249, -81.5362.
- Nearest larger cities: Highland Park, FL (3 mi); Frostproof, FL (5 mi); Lake Wales, FL (8 mi); Dundee, FL (14 mi); Avon Park, FL (16 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Nearest smaller towns: Lake Buena Vista, FL (38 mi); Bay Lake, FL (39 mi); Belleair Shore, FL (80 mi) — US Census Bureau populations.
What a personal loan costs in Hillcrest Heights
A personal loan gives you the full amount at once and spreads repayment over a set number of months at a fixed payment.
The number to compare is the APR, not the interest rate, because the APR folds in origination fees and other charges; our personal loan calculator will show what a given amount and term would cost.
A lender weighs your credit profile, income and debts when setting the rate, and a longer term lowers the payment at the cost of more interest overall.
Shop with more than one lender and treat pre-qualification as an estimate, since the final terms follow a full application.
Florida lending rules that apply in Hillcrest Heights
The table lists the Florida rules that apply to a loan made in Hillcrest Heights, each with the regulator that published 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 |
How to compare offers in Hillcrest Heights
Run through this list before signing anything in Hillcrest Heights:
- 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.