Lending data
Who actually lends to retail businesses in California?
3,228 SBA 7(a) loans went to retail businesses in California recently, at a median of $275,000. Here are the lenders that made them, ranked.
3,228 SBA 7(a) loans went to retail businesses in California in the most recent fiscal years. The median was $275,000 over 10 years. The most active lender was U.S. Bank, with 280 loans.
What lending to retail businesses in California 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, California | All 7(a) borrowers |
|---|---|---|
| Loans approved | 3,228 | 214,102 |
| Median loan | $275,000 | $150,000 |
| 25th - 75th percentile | $100,000 - $725,000 | $50,000 - $500,000 |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years |
| Median initial rate | 10.25% | 10.25% |
| Share to startups | 24.8% | 33.6% |
| Charge-off rate, FY2010-19 cohort | 6.9% | 7.1% |
Which lenders actually funded them
Ranked by loans approved to retail businesses in California. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bank | 280 | $50,000 | 29% | 9.49% |
| Wells Fargo Bank | 197 | $15,000 | 88% | 13.00% |
| Celtic Bank Corporation | 159 | $150,000 | 23% | 10.25% |
| BayFirst National Bank | 148 | $150,000 | 1% | 12.25% |
| Lendistry SBLC, LLC | 143 | $150,000 | 0% | 12.50% |
| Newtek Bank | 140 | $150,000 | 12% | 11.00% |
| Northeast Bank | 137 | $125,000 | 15% | 10.25% |
| Open Bank | 135 | $825,000 | 6% | 9.50% |
| Readycap Lending, LLC | 132 | $150,000 | 14% | 11.25% |
| Commonwealth Business Bank | 127 | $600,000 | 16% | 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 $275,000 is 83% 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.
- This is a hard market for new businesses. Only 25% of these loans went to startups, against 34% nationally. If you are pre-revenue, work from the startup table below rather than the main list.
- Lending here is fragmented. The top three lenders made only 20% of these loans between them, so no single institution owns this market. That is good news: it means shopping genuinely pays.
Which of them lend to new businesses
Of those loans, 24.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank | 173 | $15,000 | 88% | 13.00% |
| U.S. Bank | 81 | $50,000 | 29% | 9.49% |
| The Huntington National Bank | 39 | $300,000 | 45% | 10.25% |
| Celtic Bank Corporation | 37 | $150,000 | 23% | 10.25% |
| United Midwest Savings Bank | 36 | $147,500 | 95% | 10.50% |
| CDC Small Business Finance Corp | 34 | $150,000 | 58% | 11.75% |
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 California: restaurants and hotels, professional services, construction, personal services, healthcare, manufacturing
- Retail in comparable states: New York, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey