County8th of 67 in Florida by approvalsFIPS 12071
SBA loans in Lee 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 Lee County, Florida, received 823 SBA loan approvals worth $598M in FY2021 to FY2025 (720 7(a), 103 504).
That is 36.2 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (22,756 establishments in 2023), close to the Florida figure of 41.6 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 8th of 67 Florida counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 230, about level with FY2024.
119 lenders had approvals here; the most active were The Huntington National Bank (107), Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (59) and Wells Fargo Bank National Association (49). 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 Lee County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 119 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 107 | $44.6M | 13.0% | |
| 2 | Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc.Tallahassee, FL · CDC | 59 | $67.8M | 7.2% | |
| 3 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 49 | $4.5M | 6.0% | |
| 4 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 43 | $14.9M | 5.2% | |
| 5 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 32 | $22.6M | 3.9% | |
| 6 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 32 | $5.4M | 3.9% | |
| 7 | Florida Business Development CorporationTampa, FL · CDC | 30 | $26.0M | 3.6% | |
| 8 | TD Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 27 | $5.0M | 3.3% | |
| 9 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 25 | $42.1M | 3.0% | |
| 10 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 21 | $8.7M | 2.6% | |
| 11 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationColumbus, OH | 20 | $3.3M | 2.4% | |
| 12 | Bank of America, National AssociationCharlotte, NC | 18 | $8.8M | 2.2% | |
| 13 | Fifth Third BankCincinnati, OH | 16 | $12.0M | 1.9% | |
| 14 | United Midwest Savings Bank National AssociationDe Graff, OH | 16 | $2.8M | 1.9% | |
| 15 | First BankClewiston, FL | 13 | $2.4M | 1.6% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 75 | 9.1% | |
| 2 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 42 | 5.1% | |
| 3 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 41 | 5.0% | |
| 4 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 38 | 4.6% | |
| 5 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 33 | 4.0% | |
| 6 | Building Finishing ContractorsNAICS 2383 | 30 | 3.6% | |
| 7 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 25 | 3.0% | |
| 8 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 22 | 2.7% | |
| 9 | Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical ServicesNAICS 5419 | 21 | 2.6% | |
| 10 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 19 | 2.3% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction | 162 | 19.7% | |
| 2 | Accommodation and Food Services | 97 | 11.8% | |
| 3 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 84 | 10.2% | |
| 4 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 80 | 9.7% | |
| 5 | Retail Trade | 75 | 9.1% | |
| 6 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 75 | 9.1% | |
| 7 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 54 | 6.6% | |
| 8 | Manufacturing | 41 | 5.0% |
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* | 111 | $94.5M | $250K | 14 | $11.7M | 125 | 1,732 |
| FY2025 | 207 | $139M | $250K | 23 | $25.0M | 230 | 2,802 |
| FY2024 | 195 | $127M | $256K | 23 | $24.0M | 218 | 3,304 |
| FY2023 | 112 | $60.1M | $337K | 21 | $29.7M | 133 | 1,261 |
| FY2022 | 99 | $81.2M | $350K | 21 | $20.8M | 120 | 1,246 |
| FY2021 | 107 | $81.9M | $392K | 15 | $10.2M | 122 | 2,057 |
| FY2020 | 117 | $69.2M | $302K | 24 | $20.2M | 141 | 1,185 |
| FY2019 | 133 | $63.9M | $262K | 15 | $18.0M | 148 | 1,600 |
| FY2018 | 110 | $42.9M | $201K | 14 | $13.7M | 124 | 1,201 |
| FY2017 | 120 | $69.0M | $198K | 11 | $14.0M | 131 | 1,411 |
| FY2016 | 128 | $49.9M | $173K | 6 | $4.9M | 134 | 1,514 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 678 approvals.
Against Florida and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Lee County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 823 | 26,882 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 36.2 | 41.6 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $316K | $240K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $755K | $624K | $657K |
| Average approval | $727K | $609K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 12.5% | 13.4% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 13.0 | 10.4 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 3.1% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less16.0%132
- $50,001 to $150,00016.8%138
- $150,001 to $350,00018.7%154
- $350,001 to $1 million28.1%231
- $1 million to $2 million10.9%90
- Over $2 million9.5%78
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old48.1%396
- New business, 2 years or less16.5%136
- Startup, loan funds will open the business20.2%166
- Change of ownership15.1%124
- Not answered0.1%1
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Lee County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: The Huntington National Bank (107), Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (59), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (49), Newtek Bank, National Association (43), Readycap Lending, LLC (32). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Lee County?
The median 7(a) approval was $316K and the median 504 approval $755K; the Florida 7(a) median was $240K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Lee County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (75); Other Specialty Trade Contractors (42); Building Equipment Contractors (41); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (38); Services to Buildings and Dwellings (33).
Is SBA lending in Lee County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 581, against 383 in the three before: rising (+52%).
How does Lee County compare with the rest of Florida?
36.2 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 41.6 statewide, and 823 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