States › Florida › Leon County
County26th of 67 in Florida by approvalsFIPS 12073
SBA loans in Leon 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 Leon County, Florida, received 202 SBA loan approvals worth $129M in FY2021 to FY2025 (141 7(a), 61 504).
That is 24.7 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (8,163 establishments in 2023), below the Florida figure of 41.6 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 26th of 67 Florida counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 55, up 45% on FY2024.
56 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (54), The Huntington National Bank (17) and Readycap Lending, LLC (10). 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 Leon County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 56 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc.Tallahassee, FL · CDC | 54 | $34.2M | 26.7% | |
| 2 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 17 | $8.3M | 8.4% | |
| 3 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 10 | $1.8M | 5.0% | |
| 4 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 10 | $425K | 5.0% | |
| 5 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 9 | $6.1M | 4.5% | |
| 6 | Hancock Whitney BankGulfport, MS | 7 | $2.9M | 3.5% | |
| 7 | Florida Business Development CorporationTampa, FL · CDC | 6 | $9.1M | 3.0% | |
| 8 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 6 | $1.3M | 3.0% | |
| 9 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 5 | $5.1M | 2.5% | |
| 10 | Pinnacle BankNashville, TN | 5 | $3.6M | 2.5% | |
| 11 | MidSouth BankDothan, AL | 5 | $998K | 2.5% | |
| 12 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 5 | $669K | 2.5% | |
| 13 | Cogent BankOrlando, FL | 4 | $3.4M | 2.0% | |
| 14 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.Lake Success, NY | 3 | $1.3M | 1.5% | |
| 15 | Colony BankFitzgerald, GA | 3 | $663K | 1.5% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 36 | 17.8% | |
| 2 | Child Day Care ServicesNAICS 6244 | 16 | 7.9% | |
| 3 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 13 | 6.4% | |
| 4 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 8 | 4.0% | |
| 5 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 8 | 4.0% | |
| 6 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 7 | 3.5% | |
| 7 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 7 | 3.5% | |
| 8 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 7 | 3.5% | |
| 9 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting ServicesNAICS 5416 | 7 | 3.5% | |
| 10 | Legal ServicesNAICS 5411 | 5 | 2.5% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 46 | 22.8% | |
| 2 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 29 | 14.4% | |
| 3 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 22 | 10.9% | |
| 4 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 22 | 10.9% | |
| 5 | Retail Trade | 15 | 7.4% | |
| 6 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 13 | 6.4% | |
| 7 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 13 | 6.4% | |
| 8 | Construction | 9 | 4.5% |
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* | 16 | $7.9M | $238K | 2 | — | 18 | 327 |
| FY2025 | 46 | $30.8M | $200K | 9 | $7.4M | 55 | 682 |
| FY2024 | 26 | $12.9M | $323K | 12 | $11.3M | 38 | 335 |
| FY2023 | 28 | $12.4M | $334K | 7 | $9.4M | 35 | 616 |
| FY2022 | 19 | $11.1M | $201K | 17 | $11.9M | 36 | 273 |
| FY2021 | 22 | $13.8M | $439K | 16 | $8.3M | 38 | 446 |
| FY2020 | 15 | $19.3M | $667K | 9 | $7.2M | 24 | 476 |
| FY2019 | 14 | $7.1M | $301K | 5 | $1.1M | 19 | 295 |
| FY2018 | 23 | $19.6M | $315K | 4 | $3.6M | 27 | 227 |
| FY2017 | 31 | $19.6M | $331K | 8 | $6.9M | 39 | 612 |
| FY2016 | 36 | $26.9M | $325K | 4 | $1.7M | 40 | 497 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 149 approvals.
Against Florida and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Leon County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 202 | 26,882 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 24.7 | 41.6 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $283K | $240K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $460K | $624K | $657K |
| Average approval | $640K | $609K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 30.2% | 13.4% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 11.6 | 10.4 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 0.8% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less11.4%23
- $50,001 to $150,00015.8%32
- $150,001 to $350,00027.2%55
- $350,001 to $1 million27.2%55
- $1 million to $2 million10.9%22
- Over $2 million7.4%15
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old55.0%111
- New business, 2 years or less12.4%25
- Startup, loan funds will open the business24.3%49
- Change of ownership8.4%17
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Leon County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (54), The Huntington National Bank (17), Readycap Lending, LLC (10), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (10), Newtek Bank, National Association (9). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Leon County?
The median 7(a) approval was $283K and the median 504 approval $460K; the Florida 7(a) median was $240K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Leon County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (36); Child Day Care Services (16); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (13); Traveler Accommodation (8); Personal Care Services (8).
Is SBA lending in Leon County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 128, against 98 in the three before: rising (+31%).
How does Leon County compare with the rest of Florida?
24.7 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 41.6 statewide, and 202 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