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County14th of 58 in California by approvalsFIPS 06097
SBA loans in Sonoma 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 633 loans to businesses in Sonoma County, California, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $437M: 450 under 7(a) and 183 under 504.
That is 43.4 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (14,572 establishments in 2023), close to the California figure of 40.8 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 14th of 58 California counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 162, up 41% on FY2024.
74 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Capital Access Group, Inc. (78), Bay Area Employment Development Company (59) and Redwood CU (57). 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 Sonoma County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 74 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capital Access Group, Inc.San Francisco, CA · CDC | 78 | $48.5M | 12.3% | |
| 2 | Bay Area Employment Development CompanyConcord, CA · CDC | 59 | $52.9M | 9.3% | |
| 3 | Redwood CUSanta Rosa, CA | 57 | $19.0M | 9.0% | |
| 4 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 43 | $44.4M | 6.8% | |
| 5 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 33 | $12.7M | 5.2% | |
| 6 | Exchange BankSanta Rosa, CA | 31 | $20.2M | 4.9% | |
| 7 | Mortgage Capital Development CorporationOakland, CA · CDC | 30 | $35.3M | 4.7% | |
| 8 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 30 | $15.3M | 4.7% | |
| 9 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 28 | $10.3M | 4.4% | |
| 10 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 20 | $4.0M | 3.2% | |
| 11 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 19 | $3.0M | 3.0% | |
| 12 | Columbia BankLake Oswego, OR | 18 | $11.4M | 2.8% | |
| 13 | Summit State BankSanta Rosa, CA | 16 | $34.5M | 2.5% | |
| 14 | Lendistry SBLC, LLCLos Angeles, CA | 16 | $2.3M | 2.5% | |
| 15 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 15 | $4.9M | 2.4% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 54 | 8.5% | |
| 2 | Beverage ManufacturingNAICS 3121 | 20 | 3.2% | |
| 3 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 19 | 3.0% | |
| 4 | Grocery StoresNAICS 4451 | 19 | 3.0% | |
| 5 | Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the ElderlyNAICS 6233 | 17 | 2.7% | |
| 6 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 17 | 2.7% | |
| 7 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 16 | 2.5% | |
| 8 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 15 | 2.4% | |
| 9 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting ServicesNAICS 5416 | 15 | 2.4% | |
| 10 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 14 | 2.2% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Trade | 88 | 13.9% | |
| 2 | Accommodation and Food Services | 85 | 13.4% | |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 75 | 11.8% | |
| 4 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 68 | 10.7% | |
| 5 | Manufacturing | 67 | 10.6% | |
| 6 | Construction | 67 | 10.6% | |
| 7 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 50 | 7.9% | |
| 8 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 36 | 5.7% |
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* | 57 | $40.0M | $250K | 27 | $22.8M | 84 | 890 |
| FY2025 | 133 | $64.4M | $250K | 29 | $22.8M | 162 | 1,856 |
| FY2024 | 89 | $46.0M | $210K | 26 | $20.0M | 115 | 1,045 |
| FY2023 | 81 | $39.5M | $282K | 22 | $26.5M | 103 | 1,606 |
| FY2022 | 63 | $53.6M | $368K | 54 | $45.9M | 117 | 1,082 |
| FY2021 | 84 | $83.8M | $627K | 52 | $34.4M | 136 | 1,432 |
| FY2020 | 48 | $20.8M | $250K | 30 | $23.4M | 78 | 539 |
| FY2019 | 100 | $59.7M | $298K | 17 | $16.1M | 117 | 1,258 |
| FY2018 | 93 | $41.2M | $333K | 20 | $17.6M | 113 | 1,049 |
| FY2017 | 108 | $65.8M | $382K | 19 | $19.2M | 127 | 1,368 |
| FY2016 | 93 | $58.6M | $245K | 18 | $15.2M | 111 | 908 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 546 approvals.
Against California and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Sonoma County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 633 | 42,016 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 43.4 | 40.8 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $315K | $250K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $602K | $884K | $657K |
| Average approval | $690K | $733K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 28.9% | 17.2% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 11.1 | 11.0 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 1.5% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less10.0%63
- $50,001 to $150,00013.6%86
- $150,001 to $350,00025.8%163
- $350,001 to $1 million31.6%200
- $1 million to $2 million11.8%75
- Over $2 million7.3%46
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old69.5%440
- New business, 2 years or less9.6%61
- Startup, loan funds will open the business7.6%48
- Change of ownership13.1%83
- Not answered0.2%1
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Sonoma County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Capital Access Group, Inc. (78), Bay Area Employment Development Company (59), Redwood CU (57), Live Oak Banking Company (43), U.S. Bank, National Association (33). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Sonoma County?
The median 7(a) approval was $315K and the median 504 approval $602K; the California 7(a) median was $250K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Sonoma County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (54); Beverage Manufacturing (20); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (19); Grocery Stores (19); Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (17).
Is SBA lending in Sonoma County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 380, against 331 in the three before: rising (+15%).
How does Sonoma County compare with the rest of California?
43.4 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 40.8 statewide, and 633 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