County30th of 67 in Florida by approvalsFIPS 12005
SBA loans in Bay County, Florida
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 Bay County, Florida, received 168 SBA loan approvals worth $102M in FY2021 to FY2025 (134 7(a), 34 504).
That is 31.7 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (5,306 establishments in 2023), below the Florida figure of 41.6 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 30th of 67 Florida counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 44, about level with FY2024.
46 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (19), Florida Business Development Corporation (14) and The Huntington National Bank (13). 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 Bay County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 46 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc.Tallahassee, FL · CDC | 19 | $18.2M | 11.3% | |
| 2 | Florida Business Development CorporationTampa, FL · CDC | 14 | $8.6M | 8.3% | |
| 3 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 13 | $7.4M | 7.7% | |
| 4 | Hancock Whitney BankGulfport, MS | 12 | $4.3M | 7.1% | |
| 5 | Community Bank of MississippiFlowood, MS | 11 | $2.5M | 6.5% | |
| 6 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 8 | $5.5M | 4.8% | |
| 7 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 8 | $2.1M | 4.8% | |
| 8 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 7 | $818K | 4.2% | |
| 9 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 7 | $556K | 4.2% | |
| 10 | First Bank of the LakeOsage Beach, MO | 6 | $2.2M | 3.6% | |
| 11 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 5 | $979K | 3.0% | |
| 12 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 5 | $733K | 3.0% | |
| 13 | First Federal BankLake City, FL | 4 | $4.4M | 2.4% | |
| 14 | Pinnacle BankNashville, TN | 3 | $6.3M | 1.8% | |
| 15 | United Community BankGreenville, SC | 3 | $4.4M | 1.8% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 17 | 10.1% | |
| 2 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 11 | 6.5% | |
| 3 | Offices of PhysiciansNAICS 6211 | 8 | 4.8% | |
| 4 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 7 | 4.2% | |
| 5 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 6 | 3.6% | |
| 6 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 6 | 3.6% | |
| 7 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 5 | 3.0% | |
| 8 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 5 | 3.0% | |
| 9 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 4 | 2.4% | |
| 10 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 4 | 2.4% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 27 | 16.1% | |
| 2 | Accommodation and Food Services | 23 | 13.7% | |
| 3 | Retail Trade | 22 | 13.1% | |
| 4 | Construction | 20 | 11.9% | |
| 5 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 16 | 9.5% | |
| 6 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11 | 6.5% | |
| 7 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 11 | 6.5% | |
| 8 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 9 | 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* | 22 | $15.0M | $308K | 2 | — | 24 | 183 |
| FY2025 | 38 | $22.7M | $275K | 6 | $4.1M | 44 | 526 |
| FY2024 | 40 | $16.9M | $236K | 7 | $8.9M | 47 | 585 |
| FY2023 | 21 | $11.4M | $279K | 8 | $8.2M | 29 | 346 |
| FY2022 | 13 | $8.6M | $255K | 5 | $2.9M | 18 | 173 |
| FY2021 | 22 | $14.3M | $293K | 8 | $3.9M | 30 | 359 |
| FY2020 | 11 | $4.6M | $325K | 8 | $6.1M | 19 | 264 |
| FY2019 | 10 | $3.1M | $150K | 10 | $14.5M | 20 | 164 |
| FY2018 | 22 | $13.0M | $269K | 2 | — | 24 | 401 |
| FY2017 | 23 | $8.4M | $150K | 3 | $3.0M | 26 | 297 |
| FY2016 | 22 | $14.7M | $431K | 4 | $6.3M | 26 | 359 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 115 approvals.
Against Florida and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Bay County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 168 | 26,882 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 31.7 | 41.6 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $263K | $240K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $472K | $624K | $657K |
| Average approval | $606K | $609K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 20.2% | 13.4% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 11.8 | 10.4 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 0.6% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less11.9%20
- $50,001 to $150,00015.5%26
- $150,001 to $350,00028.6%48
- $350,001 to $1 million28.0%47
- $1 million to $2 million10.7%18
- Over $2 million5.4%9
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old47.6%80
- New business, 2 years or less12.5%21
- Startup, loan funds will open the business28.0%47
- Change of ownership11.9%20
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Bay County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (19), Florida Business Development Corporation (14), The Huntington National Bank (13), Hancock Whitney Bank (12), Community Bank of Mississippi (11). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Bay County?
The median 7(a) approval was $263K and the median 504 approval $472K; the Florida 7(a) median was $240K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Bay County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (17); Building Equipment Contractors (11); Offices of Physicians (8); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (7); Other Specialty Trade Contractors (6).
Is SBA lending in Bay County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 120, against 67 in the three before: rising (+79%).
How does Bay County compare with the rest of Florida?
31.7 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 41.6 statewide, and 168 of the state's 26,882 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