State lending data
SBA lending in Florida
16,898 SBA 7(a) loans went to businesses in Florida recently, at a median of $215,000. The lenders that made them, what they charged, and how the state is trending.
16,898 SBA 7(a) loans went to businesses in Florida in the most recent fiscal years, at a median of $215,000. The most active lender in the state was TD Bank, with 2,208 loans. Approvals are down 17.3% on the year.
SBA lending in Florida, 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 Florida, not advertised ranges.
| Measure | Florida | National |
|---|---|---|
| Loans approved | 16,898 | 214,102 |
| Total approved | $8.8 billion | $104.1 billion |
| Median loan | $215,000 | $150,000 |
| 25th – 75th percentile | $80,000 – $500,000 | $50,000 – $500,000 |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years |
| Median initial rate | 10.50% | 10.25% |
| Share to startups | 30.7% | 33.6% |
| Charge-off rate, FY2010–19 | 10.6% | 7.1% |
| Jobs supported | 170,625 | 2,142,602 |
| Counties with recorded lending | 66 | — |
| Lenders active in the state | 295 | — |
Is SBA lending in Florida growing or shrinking?
Shrinking, along with almost every other state. Comparing December 2025 to June 2026 with December 2024 to June 2025, the same months a year earlier, 7(a) approvals to businesses in Florida went from 2,875 to 2,379 loans, down 17.3% — while the dollars approved went from $1.6 billion to $1.5 billion, down 7.4%. The average approval rose from $558,882 to $625,153, so the change is weighted toward larger loans.
That puts Florida mid-table — 21st of 51 for year-on-year change, against a national decline of 21.0%.
| Fiscal year | Loans in Florida | Loans nationally | State share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 4,118 | 51,747 | 8.0% |
| FY2024 | 5,121 | 62,618 | 8.2% |
| FY2025 | 4,907 | 64,096 | 7.7% |
| FY2026 (part year) | 2,752 | 35,641 | 7.7% |
Which lenders actually fund businesses in Florida
Ranked by loans approved inside Florida. The median, startup share and rate columns describe each lender's own Florida 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TD Bank | 2,208 | $60,000 | 23% | 11.50% |
| The Huntington National Bank | 1,230 | $257,750 | 62% | 10.25% |
| Newtek Bank | 1,204 | $177,500 | 18% | 11.25% |
| Readycap Lending, LLC | 988 | $103,500 | 12% | 11.25% |
| BayFirst National Bank | 826 | $150,000 | 3% | 12.25% |
| Wells Fargo Bank | 760 | $15,000 | 93% | 13.00% |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank | 748 | $180,000 | 5% | 12.32% |
| Bank of America | 594 | $341,150 | 13% | 7.97% |
| Northeast Bank | 587 | $118,600 | 11% | 10.50% |
| Live Oak Banking Company | 535 | $500,000 | 26% | 9.50% |
| SouthState Bank | 390 | $200,000 | 13% | 11.00% |
| United Midwest Savings Bank | 316 | $150,000 | 77% | 10.25% |
What stands out about Florida
Reading the state's own figures against the national picture:
- Loans here run larger than average. The median of $215,000 is 43% 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.
- Startup share is close to average, at 30.7% against 33.6% nationally.
- Past loss rates here are above average. 10.6% of loans to this market from the FY2010–2019 cohorts were charged off, against 7.1% overall. Those are different, older loans than the ones in the tables above, and they describe how that cohort performed — not how any lender will read your file.
Who borrows in Florida
The industry mix of SBA borrowers here, led by construction.
| Sector | Loans | Share | Median loan | To startups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 2,397 | 14.2% | $200,000 | 22% |
| Professional Services | 2,021 | 12.0% | $150,000 | 20% |
| Healthcare | 1,843 | 10.9% | $300,000 | 37% |
| Personal Services | 1,622 | 9.6% | $156,250 | 36% |
| Restaurants and Hotels | 1,608 | 9.5% | $418,150 | 54% |
| Retail | 1,583 | 9.4% | $171,600 | 31% |
| Admin Services | 1,187 | 7.0% | $164,000 | 35% |
| Wholesale | 1,113 | 6.6% | $245,000 | 13% |
| Manufacturing | 817 | 4.8% | $273,000 | 25% |
| Trucking | 760 | 4.5% | $150,000 | 28% |
| Arts and Recreation | 570 | 3.4% | $320,000 | 61% |
| Real Estate | 448 | 2.7% | $150,000 | 24% |
Where the money goes in Florida
SBA lending is more concentrated than state totals suggest, and Miami-dade County alone accounts for 20% of the state's loans.
| County | Loans | Median loan | Total approved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-dade County | 3,330 | $150,000 | $1.3 billion |
| Broward County | 2,006 | $164,000 | $930.2 million |
| Palm Beach County | 1,524 | $200,000 | $817.3 million |
| Orange County | 1,211 | $230,000 | $684.3 million |
| Hillsborough County | 1,174 | $250,000 | $614.2 million |
| Pinellas County | 797 | $290,000 | $457.1 million |
| Duval County | 593 | $297,500 | $374.4 million |
| Lee County | 537 | $300,000 | $387.0 million |
| Sarasota County | 403 | $345,000 | $268.2 million |
| Seminole County | 375 | $250,000 | $205.3 million |
| Brevard County | 371 | $197,000 | $177.7 million |
| Pasco County | 348 | $231,450 | $161.2 million |
SBA 504 in Florida
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 | Florida 504 | National 504 |
|---|---|---|
| Projects approved | 2,254 | 22,192 |
| Median CDC share | $702,000 | $730,000 |
| Median total project | $1,578,325 | $1,642,000 |
| Median term | 25 years | 25 years |
- Which CDCs operate here, and on what terms: SBA 504 in Florida
- 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 Florida 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: California, Texas, New York, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey
Questions people actually ask
How many SBA loans are approved in Florida each year?
16,898 SBA 7(a) loans were approved to businesses in Florida across fiscal years 2023 to 2026, using data released June 2026, worth $8.8 billion in total. Over the most recent comparable months the number of approvals ran down 17.3% year on year, while the dollars approved ran down 7.4%.
Which bank approves the most SBA loans in Florida?
TD Bank, with 2,208 loans approved to businesses in the state and a median loan of $60,000. 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 Florida?
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.