Local lending data
Who lends to businesses in Harris County?
2,850 SBA 7(a) loans went to businesses in Harris County recently, at a median of $250,000. The lenders that made them, ranked, with local rates and startup share.
2,850 SBA 7(a) loans went to businesses in Harris County in the most recent fiscal years, at a median of $250,000. The most active lender was The Huntington National Bank, with 291 loans.
SBA lending in Harris County, by the numbers
Every figure here is computed from SBA 7(a) loan-level FOIA data released 2026-06-30 — loans that were actually approved to businesses in this county, not advertised ranges.
| Measure | Harris County | Texas | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loans approved | 2,850 | 16,423 | 214,102 |
| Median loan | $250,000 | $292,000 | $150,000 |
| 25th - 75th percentile | $100,000 - $694,850 | $115,000 - $721,000 | $50,000 - $500,000 |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Median initial rate | 10.25% | 10.25% | 10.25% |
| Share to startups | 38.1% | 41.0% | 33.6% |
| Charge-off rate, FY2010-19 | 10.5% | 9.2% | 7.1% |
| Jobs supported | 36,112 | 201,805 | 2,142,602 |
Which lenders actually funded them
Ranked by loans approved to businesses in Harris County. The median, startup share and rate columns describe each lender's own loans in this county, not its national averages.
| Lender | Loans | Median loan | Startup share | Median rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Huntington National Bank | 291 | $250,000 | 70% | 10.50% |
| Zions Bank | 206 | $135,000 | 31% | 10.25% |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank | 163 | $200,000 | 9% | 12.00% |
| Newtek Bank | 157 | $200,000 | 15% | 11.25% |
| Wells Fargo Bank | 152 | $15,000 | 87% | 13.00% |
| Readycap Lending, LLC | 121 | $50,000 | 16% | 13.50% |
| BayFirst National Bank | 112 | $150,000 | 2% | 12.50% |
| Live Oak Banking Company | 96 | $785,000 | 24% | 9.25% |
| Fifth Third Bank | 81 | $300,000 | 14% | 9.25% |
| Wallis Bank | 77 | $500,000 | 48% | 9.50% |
What stands out here
Reading these 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.
- Startup share is about average, at 38% against 34% nationally.
- Lending here is fragmented. The top three lenders made only 23% of these loans between them, so no single institution owns this market. That is good news: it means shopping genuinely pays.
- Lenders have been burned here before. 10.5% of loans to this market from the FY2010-2019 cohorts were charged off, against 7.1% overall. That history is why underwriting in this sector is tighter than the numbers alone would suggest — it is not personal.
Who borrows in Harris County
The mix of industries taking SBA loans here, led by healthcare.
| Sector | Loans | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 365 | 12.8% |
| Restaurants and Hotels | 352 | 12.4% |
| Construction | 325 | 11.4% |
| Professional Services | 324 | 11.4% |
| Personal Services | 315 | 11.1% |
| Retail | 283 | 9.9% |
| Wholesale | 161 | 5.6% |
| Manufacturing | 143 | 5.0% |
How to use this
- Shortlist three lenders from the table whose median loan in this county is close to what you need. Size match matters more than brand.
- Ask each whether they are a Preferred Lender and how many 7(a) loans they closed last year — see choosing an SBA lender.
- Check your coverage first with the affordability calculator, so you ask for a number your cash flow supports.
- Follow your sector link in the table above for lender data specific to your industry across Texas.
Other counties in Texas
- Nearby markets with published data: Dallas County, Tarrant County, Collin County, Travis County, Bexar County, Denton County, Fort Bend County, Williamson County