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County2nd of 71 in Arkansas by approvalsFIPS 05007
SBA loans in Benton County, Arkansas
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 242 loans to businesses in Benton County, Arkansas, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $156M: 219 under 7(a) and 23 under 504.
That is 31.1 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (7,788 establishments in 2023), above the Arkansas figure of 23.9 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 2nd of 71 Arkansas counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 56, up 14% on FY2024.
58 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Arvest Bank (50), The Huntington National Bank (23) and Rural Missouri, Inc. (16). 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 Benton County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 58 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arvest BankFayetteville, AR | 50 | $16.1M | 20.7% | |
| 2 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 23 | $8.7M | 9.5% | |
| 3 | Rural Missouri, Inc.Jefferson City, MO · CDC | 16 | $23.1M | 6.6% | |
| 4 | Southern Bancorp BankArkadelphia, AR | 9 | $10.4M | 3.7% | |
| 5 | ACC CapitalLittle Rock, AR | 9 | $2.2M | 3.7% | |
| 6 | United Midwest Savings Bank National AssociationDe Graff, OH | 7 | $1.5M | 2.9% | |
| 7 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 7 | $1.2M | 2.9% | |
| 8 | Regions BankBirmingham, AL | 6 | $6.5M | 2.5% | |
| 9 | Six Bridges Capital CorporationLittle Rock, AR · CDC | 6 | $3.4M | 2.5% | |
| 10 | First Bank of the LakeOsage Beach, MO | 6 | $2.1M | 2.5% | |
| 11 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 6 | $1.1M | 2.5% | |
| 12 | First Security BankSearcy, AR | 6 | $828K | 2.5% | |
| 13 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 5 | $6.3M | 2.1% | |
| 14 | First Financial BankEl Dorado, AR | 5 | $5.5M | 2.1% | |
| 15 | The First National Bank of Fort SmithFort Smith, AR | 5 | $238K | 2.1% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 31 | 12.8% | |
| 2 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 16 | 6.6% | |
| 3 | Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior ContractorsNAICS 2381 | 9 | 3.7% | |
| 4 | Specialized Freight TruckingNAICS 4842 | 8 | 3.3% | |
| 5 | Other Personal ServicesNAICS 8129 | 7 | 2.9% | |
| 6 | Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll ServicesNAICS 5412 | 7 | 2.9% | |
| 7 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 7 | 2.9% | |
| 8 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 7 | 2.9% | |
| 9 | Child Day Care ServicesNAICS 6244 | 6 | 2.5% | |
| 10 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 6 | 2.5% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 36 | 14.9% | |
| 2 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 34 | 14.0% | |
| 3 | Construction | 33 | 13.6% | |
| 4 | Retail Trade | 24 | 9.9% | |
| 5 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 18 | 7.4% | |
| 6 | Manufacturing | 18 | 7.4% | |
| 7 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 18 | 7.4% | |
| 8 | Transportation and Warehousing | 15 | 6.2% |
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* | 33 | $24.6M | $350K | 5 | $5.0M | 38 | 695 |
| FY2025 | 49 | $31.3M | $311K | 7 | $5.6M | 56 | 566 |
| FY2024 | 45 | $17.6M | $204K | 4 | $9.8M | 49 | 601 |
| FY2023 | 41 | $25.8M | $354K | 2 | — | 43 | 600 |
| FY2022 | 36 | $19.5M | $200K | 3 | $5.0M | 39 | 551 |
| FY2021 | 48 | $35.4M | $291K | 7 | $4.1M | 55 | 1,024 |
| FY2020 | 48 | $18.6M | $133K | 2 | — | 50 | 749 |
| FY2019 | 41 | $20.9M | $149K | 4 | $3.4M | 45 | 605 |
| FY2018 | 48 | $28.9M | $150K | 1 | — | 49 | 346 |
| FY2017 | 56 | $24.3M | $108K | 2 | — | 58 | 671 |
| FY2016 | 48 | $28.1M | $300K | 1 | — | 49 | 701 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 251 approvals.
Against Arkansas and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Benton County | Arkansas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 242 | 1,686 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 31.1 | 23.9 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $264K | $234K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $636K | $569K | $657K |
| Average approval | $646K | $622K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 9.5% | 7.2% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 13.8 | 10.5 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 14.4% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less14.0%34
- $50,001 to $150,00021.5%52
- $150,001 to $350,00021.9%53
- $350,001 to $1 million23.6%57
- $1 million to $2 million13.2%32
- Over $2 million5.8%14
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old30.2%73
- New business, 2 years or less17.8%43
- Startup, loan funds will open the business40.5%98
- Change of ownership10.7%26
- Not answered0.8%2
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Benton County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Arvest Bank (50), The Huntington National Bank (23), Rural Missouri, Inc. (16), Southern Bancorp Bank (9), ACC Capital (9). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Benton County?
The median 7(a) approval was $264K and the median 504 approval $636K; the Arkansas 7(a) median was $234K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Benton County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (31); Personal Care Services (16); Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors (9); Specialized Freight Trucking (8); Other Personal Services (7).
Is SBA lending in Benton County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 148, against 144 in the three before: broadly level (+3%).
How does Benton County compare with the rest of Arkansas?
31.1 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 23.9 statewide, and 242 of the state's 1,686 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