Oakland at a glance
- Population: 3,635 people, the 246th-largest place among Florida's 411 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 3,550 people counted in the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: roughly 2.4% higher than at the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Florida places: 246th-largest of 411 (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimate).
- Size percentile: about 40% of Florida's Census places are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: it sits at 28.5521, -81.6367 in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Winter Garden, FL (3 mi); Clermont, FL (6 mi); Ocoee, FL (7 mi); Minneola, FL (7 mi); Apopka, FL (12 mi) (Census populations, approximate straight-line distance).
- Smaller places close by: Montverde, FL (4 mi); Windermere, FL (7 mi); Bay Lake, FL (12 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Oakland
A personal loan gives you the full amount at once and spreads repayment over a set number of months at a fixed payment.
The APR is the comparable price of a loan since it folds in fees; model any offer with the personal loan calculator first.
Choosing a longer term eases the monthly budget but adds interest over the life of the loan; a shorter term costs more per month and less overall.
Most lenders offer pre-qualification with a soft credit pull, so you can see an estimated rate and amount without affecting your credit score.
Florida lending rules that apply in Oakland
Each row below is a Florida rule with its publisher and the date it was retrieved.
| 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 Oakland
A few practical steps will make the process in Oakland less costly:
- 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.