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County12th of 58 in California by approvalsFIPS 06019
SBA loans in Fresno County, California
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 695 loans to businesses in Fresno County, California, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $525M: 576 under 7(a) and 119 under 504.
That is 36.3 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (19,144 establishments in 2023), close to the California figure of 40.8 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 12th of 58 California counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 190, up 33% on FY2024.
93 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Cen Cal Business Finance Group (84), FFB Bank (69) and Celtic Bank Corporation (42). 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 Fresno County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 93 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cen Cal Business Finance GroupFresno, CA · CDC | 84 | $86.9M | 12.1% | |
| 2 | FFB BankFresno, CA | 69 | $67.9M | 9.9% | |
| 3 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 42 | $48.6M | 6.0% | |
| 4 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 39 | $5.7M | 5.6% | |
| 5 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 37 | $18.5M | 5.3% | |
| 6 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 34 | $10.8M | 4.9% | |
| 7 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 27 | $5.3M | 3.9% | |
| 8 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 23 | $7.5M | 3.3% | |
| 9 | Lendistry SBLC, LLCLos Angeles, CA | 17 | $3.6M | 2.4% | |
| 10 | CDC Small Business Finance Corp.San Diego, CA | 16 | $3.0M | 2.3% | |
| 11 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationColumbus, OH | 16 | $2.7M | 2.3% | |
| 12 | Commonwealth Business BankLos Angeles, CA | 15 | $13.9M | 2.2% | |
| 13 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 14 | $9.0M | 2.0% | |
| 14 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 14 | $2.7M | 2.0% | |
| 15 | West Coast Community BankSanta Cruz, CA | 13 | $19.6M | 1.9% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 67 | 9.6% | |
| 2 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 45 | 6.5% | |
| 3 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 30 | 4.3% | |
| 4 | Gasoline StationsNAICS 4571 | 20 | 2.9% | |
| 5 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 20 | 2.9% | |
| 6 | Grocery StoresNAICS 4451 | 19 | 2.7% | |
| 7 | Offices of PhysiciansNAICS 6211 | 17 | 2.4% | |
| 8 | Beer, Wine, and Liquor StoresNAICS 4453 | 16 | 2.3% | |
| 9 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 16 | 2.3% | |
| 10 | Offices of DentistsNAICS 6212 | 15 | 2.2% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Trade | 116 | 16.7% | |
| 2 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 93 | 13.4% | |
| 3 | Accommodation and Food Services | 85 | 12.2% | |
| 4 | Transportation and Warehousing | 64 | 9.2% | |
| 5 | Construction | 62 | 8.9% | |
| 6 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 57 | 8.2% | |
| 7 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 47 | 6.8% | |
| 8 | Manufacturing | 44 | 6.3% |
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* | 78 | $58.8M | $386K | 18 | $21.3M | 96 | 1,422 |
| FY2025 | 169 | $95.2M | $322K | 21 | $35.4M | 190 | 2,154 |
| FY2024 | 126 | $66.0M | $254K | 17 | $14.3M | 143 | 1,822 |
| FY2023 | 105 | $82.1M | $350K | 20 | $22.5M | 125 | 2,282 |
| FY2022 | 93 | $65.9M | $330K | 29 | $33.6M | 122 | 1,851 |
| FY2021 | 83 | $79.3M | $482K | 32 | $30.5M | 115 | 1,713 |
| FY2020 | 79 | $68.8M | $350K | 24 | $15.7M | 103 | 1,587 |
| FY2019 | 119 | $100.0M | $370K | 22 | $14.2M | 141 | 1,871 |
| FY2018 | 147 | $74.3M | $221K | 26 | $16.8M | 173 | 1,292 |
| FY2017 | 150 | $77.0M | $221K | 21 | $15.9M | 171 | 1,644 |
| FY2016 | 143 | $76.1M | $175K | 19 | $15.1M | 162 | 2,014 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 750 approvals.
Against California and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Fresno County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 695 | 42,016 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 36.3 | 40.8 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $350K | $250K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $819K | $884K | $657K |
| Average approval | $755K | $733K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 17.1% | 17.2% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 14.1 | 11.0 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 1.7% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less14.1%98
- $50,001 to $150,00012.7%88
- $150,001 to $350,00021.6%150
- $350,001 to $1 million29.5%205
- $1 million to $2 million12.7%88
- Over $2 million9.5%66
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old60.3%419
- New business, 2 years or less17.4%121
- Startup, loan funds will open the business13.4%93
- Change of ownership8.9%62
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Fresno County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Cen Cal Business Finance Group (84), FFB Bank (69), Celtic Bank Corporation (42), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (39), U.S. Bank, National Association (37). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Fresno County?
The median 7(a) approval was $350K and the median 504 approval $819K; the California 7(a) median was $250K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Fresno County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (67); General Freight Trucking (45); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (30); Gasoline Stations (20); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (20).
Is SBA lending in Fresno County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 458, against 340 in the three before: rising (+35%).
How does Fresno County compare with the rest of California?
36.3 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 40.8 statewide, and 695 of the state's 42,016 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