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County16th of 58 in California by approvalsFIPS 06029
SBA loans in Kern 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.
Businesses in Kern County, California, received 584 SBA loan approvals worth $465M in FY2021 to FY2025 (479 7(a), 105 504).
That is 40.7 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (14,352 establishments in 2023), close to the California figure of 40.8 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 16th of 58 California counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 159, up 33% on FY2024.
96 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Cen Cal Business Finance Group (59), U.S. Bank, National Association (51) and Wells Fargo Bank National Association (45). The most common industry was general freight trucking.
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 Kern County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 96 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cen Cal Business Finance GroupFresno, CA · CDC | 59 | $52.6M | 10.1% | |
| 2 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 51 | $8.8M | 8.7% | |
| 3 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 45 | $2.4M | 7.7% | |
| 4 | Commonwealth Business BankLos Angeles, CA | 31 | $27.6M | 5.3% | |
| 5 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 25 | $35.0M | 4.3% | |
| 6 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 20 | $9.8M | 3.4% | |
| 7 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 20 | $4.4M | 3.4% | |
| 8 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationColumbus, OH | 20 | $3.9M | 3.4% | |
| 9 | Lendistry SBLC, LLCLos Angeles, CA | 17 | $6.4M | 2.9% | |
| 10 | Enterprise Bank & TrustClayton, MO | 15 | $25.4M | 2.6% | |
| 11 | Harvest Small Business Finance, LLCLaguna Hills, CA | 12 | $13.7M | 2.1% | |
| 12 | Mortgage Capital Development CorporationOakland, CA · CDC | 11 | $13.4M | 1.9% | |
| 13 | Mission BankBakersfield, CA | 11 | $8.5M | 1.9% | |
| 14 | Bank of America, National AssociationCharlotte, NC | 11 | $5.2M | 1.9% | |
| 15 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.Lake Success, NY | 11 | $3.6M | 1.9% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 63 | 10.8% | |
| 2 | Gasoline StationsNAICS 4571 | 49 | 8.4% | |
| 3 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 49 | 8.4% | |
| 4 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 25 | 4.3% | |
| 5 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 22 | 3.8% | |
| 6 | Grocery StoresNAICS 4451 | 18 | 3.1% | |
| 7 | Offices of PhysiciansNAICS 6211 | 15 | 2.6% | |
| 8 | Gasoline StationsNAICS 4471 | 14 | 2.4% | |
| 9 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 14 | 2.4% | |
| 10 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 12 | 2.1% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Trade | 129 | 22.1% | |
| 2 | Transportation and Warehousing | 75 | 12.8% | |
| 3 | Accommodation and Food Services | 74 | 12.7% | |
| 4 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 55 | 9.4% | |
| 5 | Construction | 54 | 9.2% | |
| 6 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 49 | 8.4% | |
| 7 | Wholesale Trade | 36 | 6.2% | |
| 8 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 34 | 5.8% |
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* | 79 | $53.3M | $350K | 26 | $23.4M | 105 | 1,132 |
| FY2025 | 134 | $94.3M | $250K | 25 | $20.3M | 159 | 1,538 |
| FY2024 | 97 | $70.9M | $250K | 23 | $20.7M | 120 | 1,696 |
| FY2023 | 84 | $57.2M | $250K | 16 | $20.4M | 100 | 1,353 |
| FY2022 | 82 | $71.4M | $350K | 21 | $19.0M | 103 | 1,088 |
| FY2021 | 82 | $69.8M | $445K | 20 | $21.5M | 102 | 928 |
| FY2020 | 86 | $54.4M | $327K | 27 | $21.6M | 113 | 1,111 |
| FY2019 | 98 | $56.4M | $255K | 25 | $21.3M | 123 | 1,055 |
| FY2018 | 93 | $47.5M | $250K | 23 | $20.2M | 116 | 1,131 |
| FY2017 | 80 | $44.4M | $150K | 25 | $15.8M | 105 | 753 |
| FY2016 | 117 | $61.3M | $244K | 28 | $22.9M | 145 | 1,246 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 602 approvals.
Against California and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Kern County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 584 | 42,016 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 40.7 | 40.8 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $300K | $250K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $698K | $884K | $657K |
| Average approval | $797K | $733K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 18.0% | 17.2% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 11.3 | 11.0 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 1.4% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less18.3%107
- $50,001 to $150,00010.4%61
- $150,001 to $350,00021.9%128
- $350,001 to $1 million25.2%147
- $1 million to $2 million11.3%66
- Over $2 million12.8%75
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old59.6%348
- New business, 2 years or less19.5%114
- Startup, loan funds will open the business7.5%44
- Change of ownership13.4%78
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Kern County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Cen Cal Business Finance Group (59), U.S. Bank, National Association (51), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (45), Commonwealth Business Bank (31), Celtic Bank Corporation (25). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Kern County?
The median 7(a) approval was $300K and the median 504 approval $698K; the California 7(a) median was $250K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Kern County?
General Freight Trucking (63); Gasoline Stations (49); Restaurants and Other Eating Places (49); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (25); Traveler Accommodation (22).
Is SBA lending in Kern County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 379, against 318 in the three before: rising (+19%).
How does Kern County compare with the rest of California?
40.7 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 40.8 statewide, and 584 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