Lending data
Who actually lends to retail businesses in Arkansas?
123 SBA 7(a) loans went to retail businesses in Arkansas recently, at a median of $322,000. Here are the lenders that made them, ranked.
123 SBA 7(a) loans went to retail businesses in Arkansas in the most recent fiscal years. The median was $322,000 over 10 years. The most active lender was First Financial Bank, with 10 loans.
What lending to retail businesses in Arkansas actually looks like
Every figure on this page is computed from SBA 7(a) loan-level FOIA data released 2026-06-30. It reflects loans that were actually approved, not rate cards or advertised ranges.
| Measure | Retail, Arkansas | All 7(a) borrowers |
|---|---|---|
| Loans approved | 123 | 214,102 |
| Median loan | $322,000 | $150,000 |
| 25th - 75th percentile | $131,900 - $876,000 | $50,000 - $500,000 |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years |
| Median initial rate | 9.50% | 10.25% |
| Share to startups | 44.7% | 33.6% |
| Charge-off rate, FY2010-19 cohort | 11.0% | 7.1% |
Which lenders actually funded them
Ranked by loans approved to retail businesses in Arkansas. This is the list worth working from, because a lender that has funded dozens of businesses like yours in your state has seen your file before.
| Lender | Loans | Median loan | Startup share | Median rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Financial Bank | 10 | $560,000 | 30% | 9.50% |
| U.S. Bank | 10 | $47,500 | 70% | 9.62% |
| Arvest Bank | 8 | $200,000 | 88% | 9.00% |
| ACC Capital | 7 | $311,000 | 43% | 11.25% |
| FNBC Bank | 7 | $457,200 | 71% | 9.50% |
| Southern Bancorp Bank | 7 | $360,000 | 29% | 8.50% |
| First Service Bank | 5 | $258,400 | 0% | 9.30% |
| The Huntington National Bank | 5 | $340,000 | 80% | 11.00% |
| Newtek Bank | 5 | $75,000 | 20% | 10.00% |
| T Bank | 4 | $3,715,750 | 0% | 9.50% |
What stands out in this market
Reading the figures above against the national picture:
- Loans here run larger than average. The median of $322,000 is 115% 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. 45% of these loans went to startups or businesses under two years old, against 34% nationally — an unusually open market if you have no trading history.
- 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.
- Rates run lower here. The median initial rate of 9.50% is 0.75 points below the 10.25% national median, which usually tracks loan size and perceived sector risk rather than geography.
- Lenders have been burned here before. 11.0% 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.
Which of them lend to new businesses
Of those loans, 44.7% went to businesses the SBA classes as startups — new, under two years old, or opening with the proceeds. These are the lenders in this market that actually wrote them.
| Lender | Loans | Median loan | Startup share | Median rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arvest Bank | 7 | $200,000 | 88% | 9.00% |
| U.S. Bank | 7 | $47,500 | 70% | 9.62% |
| FNBC Bank | 5 | $457,200 | 71% | 9.50% |
| The Huntington National Bank | 4 | $340,000 | 80% | 11.00% |
| First Financial Bank | 3 | $560,000 | 30% | 9.50% |
| Byline Bank | 3 | $300,000 | 100% | 11.00% |
How to use this
- Shortlist three lenders from the table whose median loan is close to what you need.
- 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 the cash flow supports.
- Assemble the package before you call. The document checklist is the single biggest thing you control.
Compare other markets
- Other sectors in Arkansas: restaurants and hotels, construction, agriculture, personal services, healthcare, professional services
- Retail in comparable states: Mississippi, Maine, Nebraska, Iowa, Montana, Rhode Island