Key West at a glance
- Population: 25,103, the 103rd-largest community in Florida out of 411 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 26,440 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: down about 5.1% from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Florida places: 103rd out of 411 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it is larger than about 75% of the places in Florida (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 24.5651, longitude -81.7755 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Homestead, FL (104 mi); Cutler Bay, FL (114 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Nearest smaller places: Marathon, FL (49 mi); Key Colony Beach, FL (49 mi); Layton, FL (63 mi) (US Census Bureau estimates).
What a personal loan costs in Key West
Personal loans are installment credit — one lump sum, repaid in equal monthly installments across a fixed term you agree to up front.
APR, not the simple interest rate, reflects what the loan actually costs once fees are included; the personal loan calculator puts a figure on it.
Your credit, income and existing debts drive the rate a lender offers, while the term you pick sets how much interest builds on top.
Pre-qualification is a good first filter: it shows the rate and amount a lender may offer before you agree to a full application and a hard inquiry.
Florida lending rules that apply in Key West
The table lists the Florida rules that apply to a loan made in Key West, each with the regulator that published it.
| 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 Key West
Before you commit to a personal loan in Key West, 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.