South Padre Island at a glance
- Population: 2,041 — 592nd in Texas, which has 1,224 Census places (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: 2,075 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: roughly 1.6% fewer residents than at the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Texas places: 592nd in population of 1,224 places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: roughly 52% of places in Texas rank below it by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 26.1205, -97.1707 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities within 120 miles: Port Isabel, TX (6 mi); Laguna Vista, TX (8 mi); Brownsville, TX (19 mi); Los Fresnos, TX (20 mi); Rancho Viejo, TX (25 mi) (US Census Bureau).
- Smaller places close by: Bayview, TX (14 mi); Indian Lake, TX (21 mi); Los Indios, TX (35 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in South Padre Island
With an installment loan the payment is fixed for the life of the loan, so the schedule is predictable from the first month to the last.
APR is the figure that lets you compare like with like, since it wraps fees into the rate; run your own numbers with the personal loan calculator.
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.
A useful rule is to keep the new payment inside the room your budget already has, so the loan eases pressure instead of adding to it.
Texas lending rules that apply in South Padre Island
The Texas rate caps and licensing rules that reach South Padre Island are listed below, each with its source and retrieval date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 10% per year maximum; a greater rate is usurious unless otherwise provided by law (Tex. Fin. Code § 302.001) Source says: The maximum rate or amount of interest is 10 percent a year except as otherwise provided by law. | Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal via licensed credit access businesses (payday/title-loan brokers); the third-party lender itself is not licensed (Tex. Fin. Code ch. 393) Source says: the credit access business that serves as the broker is the licensee in this regulated industry | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | License required for non-depository lenders charging more than 10% interest; Chapter 342 governs consumer loans (Tex. Fin. Code § 342.051) Source says: Non-depository lenders who engage in making, transacting, or collecting loans with a rate of interest greater than 10% must be licensed by the OCCC. | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) Source says: The OCCC licenses and regulates non-depository lenders in the state of Texas. | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in South Padre Island
The steps below are worth completing first when you borrow in South Padre Island:
- 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 Texas using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.