County7th of 64 in Alabama by approvalsFIPS 01081
SBA loans in Lee County, Alabama
7(a) and 504 approvals to businesses located in the county, set against the number of businesses there and against the state.
SBA approvals by fiscal year. The federal fiscal year runs 1 October to 30 September, so FY2025 is 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025. *FY2026 is open: approvals to 30 Jun 2026 only.
SBA approved 108 loans to businesses in Lee County, Alabama, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $75.9M: 88 under 7(a) and 20 under 504.
That is 32.0 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (3,377 establishments in 2023), above the Alabama figure of 24.1 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 7th of 64 Alabama counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 31, up 82% on FY2024.
39 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Florida Business Development Corporation (14), Northeast Bank (12) and Metro City Bank (7). The most common industry was restaurants and other eating places.
Loan status is as recorded by SBA at the data date; charge-off rates are computed on loans approved at least five fiscal years ago. Jobs supported are self-reported estimates from the SBA loan application, which SBA does not review, audit or validate. Data through 30 Jun 2026.
Lenders most active in Lee County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 39 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida Business Development CorporationTampa, FL · CDC | 14 | $13.2M | 13.0% | |
| 2 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 12 | $1.4M | 11.1% | |
| 3 | Metro City BankDoraville, GA | 7 | $4.7M | 6.5% | |
| 4 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 7 | $2.6M | 6.5% | |
| 5 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 6 | $4.5M | 5.6% | |
| 6 | PNC Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 5 | $1.9M | 4.6% | |
| 7 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.Lake Success, NY | 5 | $1.6M | 4.6% | |
| 8 | Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc.Tallahassee, FL · CDC | 4 | $4.3M | 3.7% | |
| 9 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 4 | $355K | 3.7% | |
| 10 | HomeTrust BankAsheville, NC | 3 | $1.1M | 2.8% | |
| 11 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 3 | $607K | 2.8% | |
| 12 | Sabre FinanceBirmingham, AL | 3 | $328K | 2.8% | |
| 13 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 3 | $255K | 2.8% | |
| 14 | FirstBankNashville, TN | 2 | — | 1.9% | |
| 15 | Colony BankFitzgerald, GA | 2 | — | 1.9% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 15 | 13.9% | |
| 2 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 7 | 6.5% | |
| 3 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 5 | 4.6% | |
| 4 | Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related ActivitiesNAICS 5242 | 5 | 4.6% | |
| 5 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 4 | 3.7% | |
| 6 | Other Personal ServicesNAICS 8129 | 4 | 3.7% | |
| 7 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 4 | 3.7% | |
| 8 | Gasoline StationsNAICS 4571 | 3 | 2.8% | |
| 9 | Legal ServicesNAICS 5411 | 3 | 2.8% | |
| 10 | Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order HousesNAICS 4541 | 3 | 2.8% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 18 | 16.7% | |
| 2 | Retail Trade | 17 | 15.7% | |
| 3 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 11 | 10.2% | |
| 4 | Construction | 11 | 10.2% | |
| 5 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11 | 10.2% | |
| 6 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 9 | 8.3% | |
| 7 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 6 | 5.6% | |
| 8 | Finance and Insurance | 5 | 4.6% |
Approvals by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | 7(a) approvals | 7(a) dollars | Median 7(a) | 504 approvals | 504 dollars | All approvals | Jobs supported, as reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026* | 12 | $5.4M | $193K | 2 | — | 14 | 140 |
| FY2025 | 29 | $18.1M | $250K | 2 | — | 31 | 223 |
| FY2024 | 15 | $4.8M | $132K | 2 | — | 17 | 132 |
| FY2023 | 23 | $15.2M | $140K | 4 | $7.0M | 27 | 246 |
| FY2022 | 8 | $6.5M | $645K | 6 | $4.8M | 14 | 167 |
| FY2021 | 13 | $11.5M | $495K | 6 | $5.5M | 19 | 181 |
| FY2020 | 10 | $10.3M | $329K | 3 | $5.3M | 13 | 193 |
| FY2019 | 6 | $999K | $149K | 4 | $2.7M | 10 | 83 |
| FY2018 | 16 | $7.6M | $225K | 4 | $2.5M | 20 | 298 |
| FY2017 | 19 | $7.2M | $150K | 3 | $3.3M | 22 | 244 |
| FY2016 | 20 | $5.3M | $55K | 3 | $2.0M | 23 | 210 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 88 approvals.
Against Alabama and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Lee County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 108 | 2,552 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 32.0 | 24.1 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $168K | $260K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $624K | $659K | $657K |
| Average approval | $703K | $696K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 18.5% | 13.7% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 8.8 | 11.4 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 4.2% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less19.4%21
- $50,001 to $150,00023.1%25
- $150,001 to $350,00013.0%14
- $350,001 to $1 million22.2%24
- $1 million to $2 million12.0%13
- Over $2 million10.2%11
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old60.2%65
- New business, 2 years or less13.9%15
- Startup, loan funds will open the business15.7%17
- Change of ownership10.2%11
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Lee County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Florida Business Development Corporation (14), Northeast Bank (12), Metro City Bank (7), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (7), The Huntington National Bank (6). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Lee County?
The median 7(a) approval was $168K and the median 504 approval $624K; the Alabama 7(a) median was $260K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Lee County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (15); Services to Buildings and Dwellings (7); Building Equipment Contractors (5); Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (4).
Is SBA lending in Lee County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 75, against 46 in the three before: rising (+63%).
How does Lee County compare with the rest of Alabama?
32.0 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 24.1 statewide, and 108 of the state's 2,552 approvals.
About these figures
Figures are totals of the Small Business Administration's 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan files, data through 30 Jun 2026. SBA updates the files quarterly. Counts are loan approvals, including approvals later cancelled; the five-year window is FY2021–FY2025, the five latest complete fiscal years. Charge-off rates use only loans approved in FY2010–FY2021, at least five fiscal years ago, and count disbursed loans SBA records as charged off. Loans are listed under the lender they are assigned to today. Establishment counts are from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns 2023, which leaves out most farms, government and businesses without employees. Dollar figures behind fewer than three approvals are not shown, and no borrower is named anywhere on this site.Methodology · Report an error