States › California › San Diego County
County3rd of 58 in California by approvalsFIPS 06073
SBA loans in San Diego 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 4,065 loans to businesses in San Diego County, California, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $2.52bn: 3,477 under 7(a) and 588 under 504.
That is 43.5 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (93,407 establishments in 2023), close to the California figure of 40.8 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 3rd of 58 California counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 1,124, up 25% on FY2024.
164 lenders had approvals here; the most active were U.S. Bank, National Association (512), CDC Small Business Finance Corp. (219) and Wells Fargo Bank National Association (185). 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 San Diego County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 164 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 512 | $195M | 12.6% | |
| 2 | CDC Small Business Finance Corp.San Diego, CA | 219 | $38.6M | 5.4% | |
| 3 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 185 | $62.1M | 4.6% | |
| 4 | California Statewide Certified Development CorporationDavis, CA · CDC | 176 | $172M | 4.3% | |
| 5 | CDC Small Business Finance Corp.San Diego, CA · CDC | 163 | $168M | 4.0% | |
| 6 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 159 | $21.4M | 3.9% | |
| 7 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 153 | $83.3M | 3.8% | |
| 8 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 152 | $46.1M | 3.7% | |
| 9 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationColumbus, OH | 150 | $35.6M | 3.7% | |
| 10 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 146 | $27.4M | 3.6% | |
| 11 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 125 | $156M | 3.1% | |
| 12 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 113 | $41.0M | 2.8% | |
| 13 | Zions Bank, A Division ofSalt Lake City, UT | 113 | $38.5M | 2.8% | |
| 14 | Mortgage Capital Development CorporationOakland, CA · CDC | 107 | $144M | 2.6% | |
| 15 | Bank of America, National AssociationCharlotte, NC | 88 | $39.6M | 2.2% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 325 | 8.0% | |
| 2 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 137 | 3.4% | |
| 3 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 132 | 3.2% | |
| 4 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 118 | 2.9% | |
| 5 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 114 | 2.8% | |
| 6 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 112 | 2.8% | |
| 7 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting ServicesNAICS 5416 | 109 | 2.7% | |
| 8 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 95 | 2.3% | |
| 9 | Offices of DentistsNAICS 6212 | 89 | 2.2% | |
| 10 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 89 | 2.2% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction | 572 | 14.1% | |
| 2 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 553 | 13.6% | |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 468 | 11.5% | |
| 4 | Retail Trade | 404 | 9.9% | |
| 5 | Accommodation and Food Services | 399 | 9.8% | |
| 6 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 379 | 9.3% | |
| 7 | Manufacturing | 251 | 6.2% | |
| 8 | Wholesale Trade | 249 | 6.1% |
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* | 477 | $258M | $214K | 73 | $100M | 550 | 6,555 |
| FY2025 | 1,017 | $490M | $156K | 107 | $127M | 1,124 | 11,693 |
| FY2024 | 823 | $372M | $150K | 78 | $92.4M | 901 | 10,334 |
| FY2023 | 590 | $299M | $213K | 93 | $103M | 683 | 7,994 |
| FY2022 | 480 | $266M | $218K | 151 | $153M | 631 | 7,558 |
| FY2021 | 567 | $470M | $490K | 159 | $150M | 726 | 8,233 |
| FY2020 | 521 | $290M | $201K | 93 | $99.9M | 614 | 6,075 |
| FY2019 | 633 | $290M | $220K | 92 | $77.3M | 725 | 8,181 |
| FY2018 | 716 | $292M | $150K | 70 | $60.5M | 786 | 7,989 |
| FY2017 | 722 | $326M | $169K | 86 | $82.1M | 808 | 10,330 |
| FY2016 | 823 | $310M | $125K | 81 | $80.6M | 904 | 10,133 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 3,837 approvals.
Against California and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | San Diego County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 4,065 | 42,016 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 43.5 | 40.8 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $200K | $250K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $775K | $884K | $657K |
| Average approval | $621K | $733K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 14.5% | 17.2% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 11.3 | 11.0 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 9.7% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less18.8%764
- $50,001 to $150,00020.3%826
- $150,001 to $350,00018.1%734
- $350,001 to $1 million24.2%984
- $1 million to $2 million11.8%479
- Over $2 million6.8%278
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old69.5%2,824
- New business, 2 years or less14.0%568
- Startup, loan funds will open the business9.3%380
- Change of ownership7.1%290
- Not answered0.1%3
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in San Diego County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: U.S. Bank, National Association (512), CDC Small Business Finance Corp. (219), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (185), California Statewide Certified Development Corporation (176), CDC Small Business Finance Corp. (163). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in San Diego County?
The median 7(a) approval was $200K and the median 504 approval $775K; the California 7(a) median was $250K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in San Diego County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (325); Building Equipment Contractors (137); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (132); Other Specialty Trade Contractors (118); Personal Care Services (114).
Is SBA lending in San Diego County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 2,708, against 1,971 in the three before: rising (+37%).
How does San Diego County compare with the rest of California?
43.5 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 40.8 statewide, and 4,065 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