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County26th of 58 in California by approvalsFIPS 06087
SBA loans in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County, California, received 223 SBA loan approvals worth $153M in FY2021 to FY2025 (173 7(a), 50 504).
That is 31.3 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (7,136 establishments in 2023), below the California figure of 40.8 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 26th of 58 California counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 50, up 72% on FY2024.
46 lenders had approvals here; the most active were West Coast Community Bank (34), Business Finance Capital (21) and U.S. Bank, National Association (18). 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 Cruz County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 46 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Coast Community BankSanta Cruz, CA | 34 | $13.0M | 15.2% | |
| 2 | Business Finance CapitalLos Angeles, CA · CDC | 21 | $16.8M | 9.4% | |
| 3 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 18 | $7.5M | 8.1% | |
| 4 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 15 | $7.8M | 6.7% | |
| 5 | Mortgage Capital Development CorporationOakland, CA · CDC | 11 | $14.6M | 4.9% | |
| 6 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 9 | $2.8M | 4.0% | |
| 7 | Fifth Third BankCincinnati, OH | 9 | $1.1M | 4.0% | |
| 8 | Capital Access Group, Inc.San Francisco, CA · CDC | 7 | $8.6M | 3.1% | |
| 9 | Bay Area Employment Development CompanyConcord, CA · CDC | 6 | $4.9M | 2.7% | |
| 10 | Bank of America, National AssociationCharlotte, NC | 6 | $4.9M | 2.7% | |
| 11 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationColumbus, OH | 6 | $1.5M | 2.7% | |
| 12 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 6 | $917K | 2.7% | |
| 13 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 5 | $6.4M | 2.2% | |
| 14 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 5 | $1.1M | 2.2% | |
| 15 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 5 | $1.1M | 2.2% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 22 | 9.9% | |
| 2 | Offices of DentistsNAICS 6212 | 12 | 5.4% | |
| 3 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 11 | 4.9% | |
| 4 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 10 | 4.5% | |
| 5 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 9 | 4.0% | |
| 6 | Offices of Real Estate Agents and BrokersNAICS 5312 | 8 | 3.6% | |
| 7 | Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll ServicesNAICS 5412 | 8 | 3.6% | |
| 8 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting ServicesNAICS 5416 | 6 | 2.7% | |
| 9 | Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the ElderlyNAICS 6233 | 5 | 2.2% | |
| 10 | Child Day Care ServicesNAICS 6244 | 5 | 2.2% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 31 | 13.9% | |
| 2 | Accommodation and Food Services | 31 | 13.9% | |
| 3 | Retail Trade | 28 | 12.6% | |
| 4 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 27 | 12.1% | |
| 5 | Construction | 23 | 10.3% | |
| 6 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 15 | 6.7% | |
| 7 | Transportation and Warehousing | 13 | 5.8% | |
| 8 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 12 | 5.4% |
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* | 36 | $15.3M | $202K | 5 | $4.5M | 41 | 311 |
| FY2025 | 41 | $24.6M | $336K | 9 | $10.1M | 50 | 492 |
| FY2024 | 24 | $8.0M | $150K | 5 | $6.0M | 29 | 240 |
| FY2023 | 33 | $17.6M | $215K | 15 | $10.0M | 48 | 578 |
| FY2022 | 37 | $18.0M | $250K | 15 | $18.2M | 52 | 547 |
| FY2021 | 38 | $36.8M | $350K | 6 | $3.7M | 44 | 495 |
| FY2020 | 40 | $30.4M | $260K | 8 | $14.3M | 48 | 638 |
| FY2019 | 52 | $23.4M | $188K | 7 | $10.6M | 59 | 590 |
| FY2018 | 54 | $36.9M | $333K | 8 | $8.0M | 62 | 722 |
| FY2017 | 65 | $38.1M | $150K | 4 | $4.1M | 69 | 695 |
| FY2016 | 77 | $33.7M | $240K | 4 | $2.5M | 81 | 839 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 319 approvals.
Against California and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Santa Cruz County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 223 | 42,016 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 31.3 | 40.8 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $250K | $250K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $664K | $884K | $657K |
| Average approval | $686K | $733K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 22.4% | 17.2% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 10.5 | 11.0 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 0.5% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less13.5%30
- $50,001 to $150,00017.0%38
- $150,001 to $350,00021.1%47
- $350,001 to $1 million27.8%62
- $1 million to $2 million13.0%29
- Over $2 million7.6%17
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old70.4%157
- New business, 2 years or less12.6%28
- Startup, loan funds will open the business7.2%16
- Change of ownership9.9%22
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Santa Cruz County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: West Coast Community Bank (34), Business Finance Capital (21), U.S. Bank, National Association (18), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (15), Mortgage Capital Development Corporation (11). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Santa Cruz County?
The median 7(a) approval was $250K and the median 504 approval $664K; the California 7(a) median was $250K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Santa Cruz County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (22); Offices of Dentists (12); Building Equipment Contractors (11); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (10); General Freight Trucking (9).
Is SBA lending in Santa Cruz County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 127, against 144 in the three before: falling (-12%).
How does Santa Cruz County compare with the rest of California?
31.3 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 40.8 statewide, and 223 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