States › Florida › Highlands County
County38th of 67 in Florida by approvalsFIPS 12055
SBA loans in Highlands 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 Highlands County, Florida, received 64 SBA loan approvals worth $45.7M in FY2021 to FY2025 (53 7(a), 11 504).
That is 29.9 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (2,138 establishments in 2023), below the Florida figure of 41.6 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 38th of 67 Florida counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 18, up 13% on FY2024.
27 lenders had approvals here; the most active were TD Bank, National Association (14), Florida Business Development Corporation (5) and Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (5). 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 Highlands County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 27 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TD Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 14 | $813K | 21.9% | |
| 2 | Florida Business Development CorporationTampa, FL · CDC | 5 | $6.0M | 7.8% | |
| 3 | Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc.Tallahassee, FL · CDC | 5 | $1.6M | 7.8% | |
| 4 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 4 | $1.8M | 6.3% | |
| 5 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 3 | $10.0M | 4.7% | |
| 6 | The Bancorp Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 3 | $3.3M | 4.7% | |
| 7 | SouthState Bank, National AssociationWinter Haven, FL | 3 | $395K | 4.7% | |
| 8 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 3 | $350K | 4.7% | |
| 9 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.Lake Success, NY | 2 | — | 3.1% | |
| 10 | United Midwest Savings Bank National AssociationDe Graff, OH | 2 | — | 3.1% | |
| 11 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 2 | — | 3.1% | |
| 12 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 2 | — | 3.1% | |
| 13 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 2 | — | 3.1% | |
| 14 | 1st Financial Bank USADakota Dunes, SD | 1 | — | 1.6% | |
| 15 | Gulf Coast Bank and Trust CompanyNew Orleans, LA | 1 | — | 1.6% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 6 | 9.4% | |
| 2 | Child Day Care ServicesNAICS 6244 | 5 | 7.8% | |
| 3 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 3 | 4.7% | |
| 4 | Support Activities for Crop ProductionNAICS 1151 | 3 | 4.7% | |
| 5 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 3 | 4.7% | |
| 6 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 2 | 3.1% | |
| 7 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 2 | 3.1% | |
| 8 | Lessors of Real EstateNAICS 5311 | 2 | 3.1% | |
| 9 | Offices of PhysiciansNAICS 6211 | 2 | 3.1% | |
| 10 | Gasoline StationsNAICS 4571 | 2 | 3.1% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 11 | 17.2% | |
| 2 | Accommodation and Food Services | 8 | 12.5% | |
| 3 | Construction | 8 | 12.5% | |
| 4 | Retail Trade | 8 | 12.5% | |
| 5 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 6 | 9.4% | |
| 6 | Manufacturing | 5 | 7.8% | |
| 7 | Wholesale Trade | 5 | 7.8% | |
| 8 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 3 | 4.7% |
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* | 7 | $6.6M | $300K | 2 | — | 9 | 64 |
| FY2025 | 15 | $8.3M | $195K | 3 | $3.8M | 18 | 148 |
| FY2024 | 12 | $4.3M | $125K | 4 | $2.8M | 16 | 100 |
| FY2023 | 8 | $6.4M | $50K | 4 | $1.7M | 12 | 142 |
| FY2022 | 11 | $10.1M | $125K | 0 | — | 11 | 132 |
| FY2021 | 7 | $8.3M | $413K | 0 | — | 7 | 48 |
| FY2020 | 6 | $2.9M | $268K | 1 | — | 7 | 48 |
| FY2019 | 6 | $855K | $31K | 0 | — | 6 | 58 |
| FY2018 | 5 | $1.3M | $125K | 1 | — | 6 | 30 |
| FY2017 | 5 | $2.6M | $26K | 0 | — | 5 | 36 |
| FY2016 | 10 | $3.5M | $267K | 0 | — | 10 | 102 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 34 approvals.
Against Florida and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Highlands County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 64 | 26,882 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 29.9 | 41.6 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $150K | $240K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $410K | $624K | $657K |
| Average approval | $714K | $609K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 17.2% | 13.4% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 8.9 | 10.4 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 0.2% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less25.0%16
- $50,001 to $150,00018.8%12
- $150,001 to $350,00015.6%10
- $350,001 to $1 million21.9%14
- $1 million to $2 million7.8%5
- Over $2 million10.9%7
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old64.1%41
- New business, 2 years or less12.5%8
- Startup, loan funds will open the business15.6%10
- Change of ownership7.8%5
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Highlands County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: TD Bank, National Association (14), Florida Business Development Corporation (5), Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (5), The Huntington National Bank (4), BayFirst National Bank (3). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Highlands County?
The median 7(a) approval was $150K and the median 504 approval $410K; the Florida 7(a) median was $240K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Highlands County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (6); Child Day Care Services (5); Residential Building Construction (3); Support Activities for Crop Production (3); Building Equipment Contractors (3).
Is SBA lending in Highlands County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 46, against 25 in the three before: rising (+84%).
How does Highlands County compare with the rest of Florida?
29.9 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 41.6 statewide, and 64 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