Port St. Lucie at a glance
- Population: 245,021 — 6th in Florida, which has 411 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 204,855 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: up about 19.6% from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Florida places: 6th largest of 411 (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: roughly 99% of Florida's places have fewer residents (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: latitude 27.2806, longitude -80.3883 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Orlando, FL (94 mi); Miami, FL (105 mi); US Census Bureau population estimates.
- Smaller places nearby: Ocean Breeze, FL (10 mi); Fort Pierce, FL (10 mi); Stuart, FL (11 mi), per US Census Bureau estimates.
What a personal loan costs in Port St. Lucie
A personal loan is an installment loan: you receive a lump sum and repay it in fixed monthly payments over a set term, usually two to seven years.
Two loans can share an interest rate and still differ in APR once fees are counted, so compare APR; our personal loan calculator shows the difference over the full term.
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.
Set the loan amount from the expense itself rather than the maximum you are approved for, and keep the payment within your existing budget.
Florida lending rules that apply in Port St. Lucie
Every figure in the table below is sourced to a publisher with a date; where a state does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate.
| 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 Port St. Lucie
Here is a short checklist for comparing personal loans in Port St. Lucie:
- 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.