State lending data
SBA lending in Arkansas
1,050 SBA 7(a) loans went to businesses in Arkansas recently, at a median of $250,000. The lenders that made them, what they charged, and how the state is trending.
1,050 SBA 7(a) loans went to businesses in Arkansas in the most recent fiscal years, at a median of $250,000. The most active lender in the state was Arvest Bank, with 95 loans. Approvals are down 15.0% on the year.
SBA lending in Arkansas, by the numbers
Every figure here is computed from SBA 7(a) loan-level FOIA data released 2026-06-30 — loans actually approved to businesses in Arkansas, not advertised ranges.
| Measure | Arkansas | National |
|---|---|---|
| Loans approved | 1,050 | 214,102 |
| Total approved | $684.9 million | $104.1 billion |
| Median loan | $250,000 | $150,000 |
| 25th – 75th percentile | $80,000 – $752,925 | $50,000 – $500,000 |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years |
| Median initial rate | 9.50% | 10.25% |
| Share to startups | 46.7% | 33.6% |
| Charge-off rate, FY2010–19 | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Jobs supported | 10,310 | 2,142,602 |
| Counties with recorded lending | 67 | — |
| Lenders active in the state | 114 | — |
Is SBA lending in Arkansas growing or shrinking?
Fewer, larger loans. The number of approvals fell while the total dollars approved rose, so what shrank in Arkansas is small-loan lending. Comparing December 2025 to June 2026 with December 2024 to June 2025, the same months a year earlier, 7(a) approvals to businesses in Arkansas went from 206 to 175 loans, down 15.0% — while the dollars approved went from $119.8 million to $134.6 million, up 12.4%. The average approval rose from $581,413 to $769,312, so the change is weighted toward larger loans.
Arkansas is holding up better than most of the country: 12th of 51 for year-on-year change, against a national decline of 21.0%.
| Fiscal year | Loans in Arkansas | Loans nationally | State share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 269 | 51,747 | 0.5% |
| FY2024 | 257 | 62,618 | 0.4% |
| FY2025 | 333 | 64,096 | 0.5% |
| FY2026 (part year) | 191 | 35,641 | 0.5% |
Which lenders actually fund businesses in Arkansas
Ranked by loans approved inside Arkansas. The median, startup share and rate columns describe each lender's own Arkansas loans, not its national averages — the same bank often writes very different business from one state to the next.
| Lender | Loans | Median loan | Startup share | Median rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arvest Bank | 95 | $108,000 | 74% | 9.00% |
| First Service Bank | 80 | $350,500 | 65% | 9.20% |
| Southern Bancorp Bank | 78 | $240,500 | 54% | 8.50% |
| U.S. Bank | 77 | $25,000 | 35% | 9.24% |
| First Financial Bank | 61 | $986,000 | 41% | 8.15% |
| The Huntington National Bank | 47 | $287,000 | 77% | 10.50% |
| FNBC Bank | 40 | $259,800 | 68% | 10.00% |
| Newtek Bank | 37 | $125,000 | 16% | 11.50% |
| Readycap Lending, LLC | 36 | $115,000 | 22% | 12.25% |
| Live Oak Banking Company | 34 | $1,199,000 | 26% | 8.87% |
| ACC Capital | 31 | $252,200 | 45% | 11.00% |
| Northeast Bank | 25 | $150,000 | 4% | 10.75% |
What stands out about Arkansas
Reading the state's own figures against the national picture:
- Loans here run larger than average. The median of $250,000 is 67% above the $150,000 national median. Expect lenders in this market to be geared toward bigger deals, and expect a small request to get less attention.
- New businesses do well here. 46.7% of these loans went to startups or businesses no more than two years old, against 33.6% nationally — an unusually open market if you have no trading history.
- Rates run lower here. The median initial rate of 9.50% is 0.75 points below the 10.25% national median. Most 7(a) lending is variable-rate, so treat this as a comparison between markets, not a quote.
Who borrows in Arkansas
The industry mix of SBA borrowers here, led by restaurants and hotels.
| Sector | Loans | Share | Median loan | To startups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Hotels | 136 | 13.0% | $327,350 | 58% |
| Construction | 135 | 12.9% | $125,000 | 38% |
| Agriculture | 133 | 12.7% | $901,000 | 56% |
| Retail | 123 | 11.7% | $322,000 | 45% |
| Personal Services | 108 | 10.3% | $150,000 | 49% |
| Healthcare | 90 | 8.6% | $249,250 | 42% |
| Professional Services | 78 | 7.4% | $139,400 | 27% |
| Admin Services | 46 | 4.4% | $159,400 | 48% |
| Manufacturing | 45 | 4.3% | $250,000 | 42% |
| Trucking | 39 | 3.7% | $112,600 | 67% |
| Arts and Recreation | 35 | 3.3% | $271,800 | 66% |
| Finance | 23 | 2.2% | $103,500 | 39% |
Where the money goes in Arkansas
SBA lending is more concentrated than state totals suggest, and Pulaski County alone accounts for 16% of the state's loans.
| County | Loans | Median loan | Total approved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County | 167 | $225,000 | $116.3 million |
| Benton County | 152 | $296,900 | $93.1 million |
| Washington County | 93 | $300,000 | $55.0 million |
| Faulkner County | 59 | $228,800 | $38.5 million |
| Sebastian County | 43 | $185,000 | $32.4 million |
| Saline County | 43 | $105,700 | $11.9 million |
| Garland County | 40 | $150,000 | $17.0 million |
| Craighead County | 27 | $599,000 | $25.7 million |
| Jefferson County | 25 | $300,000 | $27.9 million |
SBA 504 in Arkansas
7(a) is the general-purpose program. 504 is the one for buying the building or the heavy equipment, at a long fixed rate — a different program with its own lenders, called Certified Development Companies.
| Measure | Arkansas 504 | National 504 |
|---|---|---|
| Projects approved | 67 | 22,192 |
| Median CDC share | $594,000 | $730,000 |
| Median total project | $1,331,000 | $1,642,000 |
| Median term | 25 years | 25 years |
- Which CDCs operate here, and on what terms: SBA 504 in Arkansas
- How the two programs differ: SBA 504 loans and SBA 7(a) loans
How to use this page
- Start from the lender table, not a search engine. Shortlist three whose median loan in Arkansas is near what you need. Size match beats brand.
- Follow your industry link in the sector table for the lenders that fund your kind of business in this state specifically.
- Then your county, if it is listed, for the local picture.
- Check the payment before you apply with the affordability calculator — lenders decline on cash flow more than on anything else.
- Filter the whole lender file yourself in the lender finder if you want to combine state, industry, loan size and business age at once.
Other states
- States of comparable lending volume: Nebraska, New Mexico, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Maine, Delaware, California, Florida
Questions people actually ask
How many SBA loans are approved in Arkansas each year?
1,050 SBA 7(a) loans were approved to businesses in Arkansas across fiscal years 2023 to 2026, using data released June 2026, worth $684.9 million in total. Over the most recent comparable months the number of approvals ran down 15.0% year on year, while the dollars approved ran up 12.4%.
Which bank approves the most SBA loans in Arkansas?
Arvest Bank, with 95 loans approved to businesses in the state and a median loan of $108,000. That makes it the most active, not necessarily the best fit — a lender whose median is far from your number is usually the wrong call.
Do I have to use a lender based in Arkansas?
No. SBA lenders routinely lend across state lines and several of the largest are non-bank lenders with no branches at all. What the state data tells you is which institutions are already comfortable with businesses like yours here.