States › California › San Luis Obispo County
County20th of 58 in California by approvalsFIPS 06079
SBA loans in San Luis Obispo 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 337 loans to businesses in San Luis Obispo County, California, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $241M: 281 under 7(a) and 56 under 504.
That is 37.6 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (8,962 establishments in 2023), close to the California figure of 40.8 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 20th of 58 California counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 85, up 15% on FY2024.
74 lenders had approvals here; the most active were American Riviera Bank (25), Cen Cal Business Finance Group (22) and U.S. Bank, National Association (17). 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 Luis Obispo County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 74 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Riviera BankSanta Barbara, CA | 25 | $8.3M | 7.4% | |
| 2 | Cen Cal Business Finance GroupFresno, CA · CDC | 22 | $17.4M | 6.5% | |
| 3 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 17 | $5.8M | 5.0% | |
| 4 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 16 | $1.8M | 4.7% | |
| 5 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 15 | $20.5M | 4.5% | |
| 6 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 12 | $5.5M | 3.6% | |
| 7 | Columbia BankLake Oswego, OR | 11 | $6.4M | 3.3% | |
| 8 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationColumbus, OH | 11 | $3.4M | 3.3% | |
| 9 | Customers BankMalvern, PA | 10 | $10.1M | 3.0% | |
| 10 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 10 | $5.5M | 3.0% | |
| 11 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 10 | $1.8M | 3.0% | |
| 12 | West Coast Community BankSanta Cruz, CA | 9 | $7.1M | 2.7% | |
| 13 | Bay Area Employment Development CompanyConcord, CA · CDC | 8 | $4.2M | 2.4% | |
| 14 | Mortgage Capital Development CorporationOakland, CA · CDC | 7 | $12.5M | 2.1% | |
| 15 | Mission BankBakersfield, CA | 7 | $4.6M | 2.1% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 29 | 8.6% | |
| 2 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 16 | 4.7% | |
| 3 | Architectural, Engineering, and Related ServicesNAICS 5413 | 15 | 4.5% | |
| 4 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 13 | 3.9% | |
| 5 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 12 | 3.6% | |
| 6 | Offices of PhysiciansNAICS 6211 | 11 | 3.3% | |
| 7 | Beverage ManufacturingNAICS 3121 | 11 | 3.3% | |
| 8 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 9 | 2.7% | |
| 9 | Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related ActivitiesNAICS 5242 | 8 | 2.4% | |
| 10 | Nonresidential Building ConstructionNAICS 2362 | 7 | 2.1% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 51 | 15.1% | |
| 2 | Retail Trade | 44 | 13.1% | |
| 3 | Construction | 40 | 11.9% | |
| 4 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 39 | 11.6% | |
| 5 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 38 | 11.3% | |
| 6 | Manufacturing | 29 | 8.6% | |
| 7 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 27 | 8.0% | |
| 8 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 14 | 4.2% |
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* | 52 | $31.2M | $212K | 5 | $5.1M | 57 | 565 |
| FY2025 | 74 | $38.6M | $251K | 11 | $10.5M | 85 | 1,165 |
| FY2024 | 66 | $34.2M | $150K | 8 | $6.0M | 74 | 523 |
| FY2023 | 56 | $32.7M | $265K | 6 | $5.2M | 62 | 865 |
| FY2022 | 46 | $49.9M | $529K | 15 | $16.7M | 61 | 1,002 |
| FY2021 | 39 | $37.3M | $595K | 16 | $10.4M | 55 | 647 |
| FY2020 | 49 | $26.3M | $350K | 14 | $11.5M | 63 | 780 |
| FY2019 | 60 | $42.7M | $350K | 13 | $9.6M | 73 | 885 |
| FY2018 | 63 | $29.5M | $200K | 9 | $4.8M | 72 | 724 |
| FY2017 | 65 | $47.2M | $200K | 8 | $9.8M | 73 | 1,196 |
| FY2016 | 132 | $43.3M | $204K | 18 | $10.9M | 150 | 1,434 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 431 approvals.
Against California and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | San Luis Obispo County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 337 | 42,016 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 37.6 | 40.8 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $350K | $250K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $578K | $884K | $657K |
| Average approval | $717K | $733K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 16.6% | 17.2% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 12.5 | 11.0 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 0.8% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less11.0%37
- $50,001 to $150,00018.1%61
- $150,001 to $350,00018.4%62
- $350,001 to $1 million31.5%106
- $1 million to $2 million13.4%45
- Over $2 million7.7%26
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old66.8%225
- New business, 2 years or less12.5%42
- Startup, loan funds will open the business8.3%28
- Change of ownership12.5%42
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in San Luis Obispo County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: American Riviera Bank (25), Cen Cal Business Finance Group (22), U.S. Bank, National Association (17), BayFirst National Bank (16), Live Oak Banking Company (15). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in San Luis Obispo County?
The median 7(a) approval was $350K and the median 504 approval $578K; the California 7(a) median was $250K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in San Luis Obispo County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (29); Building Equipment Contractors (16); Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (15); Traveler Accommodation (13); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (12).
Is SBA lending in San Luis Obispo County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 221, against 179 in the three before: rising (+23%).
How does San Luis Obispo County compare with the rest of California?
37.6 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 40.8 statewide, and 337 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