Who actually lends, by industry and state
Built from the SBA's loan-level release: which lenders genuinely funded businesses like yours, where, at what size, and how often they say yes to startups.
Most "best SBA lenders" lists rank whoever advertises hardest. This section ranks lenders by loans they actually approved, in your sector, in your state — because a lender that has funded forty businesses like yours nearby has seen your file before, and one that has funded none has not.
Construction and contracting
29,275 loans across 51 states. Median $150,000.
Restaurants, bars, and hotels
26,550 loans across 51 states. Median $320,000.
Retail
24,300 loans across 51 states. Median $275,000.
Personal and repair services
21,193 loans across 51 states. Median $150,000.
Professional and technical services
21,128 loans across 51 states. Median $150,000.
Health care and social assistance
20,186 loans across 50 states. Median $300,000.
Administrative and support services
12,812 loans across 49 states. Median $164,000.
Manufacturing
12,131 loans across 46 states. Median $276,000.
Transportation and trucking
10,942 loans across 45 states. Median $62,100.
Wholesale trade
8,772 loans across 45 states. Median $286,000.
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
8,305 loans across 45 states. Median $150,000.
Real estate and rental
4,378 loans across 39 states. Median $150,000.
Finance and insurance
3,414 loans across 37 states. Median $150,000.
Educational services
3,280 loans across 32 states. Median $150,000.
Information and media
1,776 loans across 26 states. Median $150,000.
Agriculture and farming
1,687 loans across 30 states. Median $790,000.
Mining and extraction
104 loans across 3 states. Median $260,450.
Utilities
93 loans across 3 states. Median $150,000.
Looking for startup lenders specifically?
Appetite for new businesses varies enormously between lenders offering the identical SBA program. Which lenders actually fund startups ranks them by startup loans genuinely approved.
Buying a building instead?
The 504 program is a different animal: you need a CDC and a bank, and both have to approve. SBA 504 lenders by state shows which CDCs are active where, which banks write the first mortgage, and which pairs actually close projects together.
What this data can and cannot tell you
- It can tell you who has recently funded businesses in your sector and state, at what size, on what terms, and how often they lend to new businesses.
- It cannot tell you whether they will lend to you. Appetite shifts with portfolio concentration, the quarter, and the economy.
- It does not cover conventional bank lending, online lenders, or advances — none of which publish loan-level data. This is the SBA-guaranteed market only.