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County19th of 58 in California by approvalsFIPS 06083
SBA loans in Santa Barbara 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 398 loans to businesses in Santa Barbara County, California, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $299M: 319 under 7(a) and 79 under 504.
That is 31.9 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (12,484 establishments in 2023), below the California figure of 40.8 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 19th of 58 California counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 107, up 15% on FY2024.
75 lenders had approvals here; the most active were U.S. Bank, National Association (35), American Riviera Bank (30) and Cen Cal Business Finance Group (21). 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 Santa Barbara County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 75 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 35 | $24.0M | 8.8% | |
| 2 | American Riviera BankSanta Barbara, CA | 30 | $17.5M | 7.5% | |
| 3 | Cen Cal Business Finance GroupFresno, CA · CDC | 21 | $26.4M | 5.3% | |
| 4 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 20 | $3.4M | 5.0% | |
| 5 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 19 | $23.4M | 4.8% | |
| 6 | CDC Small Business Finance Corp.San Diego, CA · CDC | 18 | $22.4M | 4.5% | |
| 7 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 18 | $1.7M | 4.5% | |
| 8 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 15 | $14.1M | 3.8% | |
| 9 | California Statewide Certified Development CorporationDavis, CA · CDC | 13 | $12.6M | 3.3% | |
| 10 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 13 | $2.5M | 3.3% | |
| 11 | Mortgage Capital Development CorporationOakland, CA · CDC | 12 | $22.3M | 3.0% | |
| 12 | Bank of America, National AssociationCharlotte, NC | 12 | $6.4M | 3.0% | |
| 13 | Commonwealth Business BankLos Angeles, CA | 11 | $6.2M | 2.8% | |
| 14 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationColumbus, OH | 11 | $2.2M | 2.8% | |
| 15 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.Lake Success, NY | 10 | $5.1M | 2.5% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 37 | 9.3% | |
| 2 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 20 | 5.0% | |
| 3 | Grocery StoresNAICS 4451 | 16 | 4.0% | |
| 4 | Offices of DentistsNAICS 6212 | 13 | 3.3% | |
| 5 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 13 | 3.3% | |
| 6 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 11 | 2.8% | |
| 7 | Offices of PhysiciansNAICS 6211 | 9 | 2.3% | |
| 8 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 9 | 2.3% | |
| 9 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 9 | 2.3% | |
| 10 | Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant WholesalersNAICS 4239 | 9 | 2.3% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 65 | 16.3% | |
| 2 | Retail Trade | 59 | 14.8% | |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 42 | 10.6% | |
| 4 | Construction | 40 | 10.1% | |
| 5 | Manufacturing | 33 | 8.3% | |
| 6 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 33 | 8.3% | |
| 7 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 32 | 8.0% | |
| 8 | Wholesale Trade | 16 | 4.0% |
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* | 49 | $26.6M | $200K | 7 | $12.2M | 56 | 495 |
| FY2025 | 91 | $49.3M | $150K | 16 | $24.1M | 107 | 1,091 |
| FY2024 | 77 | $33.0M | $180K | 16 | $22.5M | 93 | 1,307 |
| FY2023 | 49 | $28.6M | $225K | 11 | $12.2M | 60 | 782 |
| FY2022 | 39 | $23.6M | $340K | 16 | $19.3M | 55 | 785 |
| FY2021 | 63 | $68.7M | $714K | 20 | $17.4M | 83 | 921 |
| FY2020 | 55 | $46.2M | $400K | 9 | $3.8M | 64 | 682 |
| FY2019 | 50 | $31.4M | $150K | 14 | $7.7M | 64 | 516 |
| FY2018 | 66 | $39.6M | $251K | 12 | $11.3M | 78 | 938 |
| FY2017 | 56 | $39.8M | $250K | 11 | $6.9M | 67 | 811 |
| FY2016 | 73 | $31.9M | $221K | 20 | $16.8M | 93 | 986 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 366 approvals.
Against California and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Santa Barbara County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 398 | 42,016 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 31.9 | 40.8 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $272K | $250K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $824K | $884K | $657K |
| Average approval | $751K | $733K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 19.8% | 17.2% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 12.3 | 11.0 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 0.9% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less13.8%55
- $50,001 to $150,00018.6%74
- $150,001 to $350,00018.8%75
- $350,001 to $1 million25.6%102
- $1 million to $2 million14.1%56
- Over $2 million9.0%36
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old69.6%277
- New business, 2 years or less11.8%47
- Startup, loan funds will open the business8.3%33
- Change of ownership10.3%41
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Santa Barbara County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: U.S. Bank, National Association (35), American Riviera Bank (30), Cen Cal Business Finance Group (21), BayFirst National Bank (20), Readycap Lending, LLC (19). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Santa Barbara County?
The median 7(a) approval was $272K and the median 504 approval $824K; the California 7(a) median was $250K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Santa Barbara County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (37); Traveler Accommodation (20); Grocery Stores (16); Offices of Dentists (13); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (13).
Is SBA lending in Santa Barbara County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 260, against 202 in the three before: rising (+29%).
How does Santa Barbara County compare with the rest of California?
31.9 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 40.8 statewide, and 398 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