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County13th of 67 in Florida by approvalsFIPS 12105
SBA loans in Polk 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 Polk County, Florida, received 552 SBA loan approvals worth $330M in FY2021 to FY2025 (483 7(a), 69 504).
That is 39.5 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (13,992 establishments in 2023), close to the Florida figure of 41.6 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 13th of 67 Florida counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 132, down 11% on FY2024.
94 lenders had approvals here; the most active were The Huntington National Bank (50), TD Bank, National Association (36) and Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (32). 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 Polk County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 94 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 50 | $14.7M | 9.1% | |
| 2 | TD Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 36 | $5.7M | 6.5% | |
| 3 | Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc.Tallahassee, FL · CDC | 32 | $46.8M | 5.8% | |
| 4 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 32 | $7.8M | 5.8% | |
| 5 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 32 | $1.4M | 5.8% | |
| 6 | Florida Business Development CorporationTampa, FL · CDC | 30 | $19.8M | 5.4% | |
| 7 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 27 | $3.6M | 4.9% | |
| 8 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 21 | $5.2M | 3.8% | |
| 9 | SouthState Bank, National AssociationWinter Haven, FL | 20 | $12.4M | 3.6% | |
| 10 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 20 | $5.1M | 3.6% | |
| 11 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 15 | $19.7M | 2.7% | |
| 12 | Bank of America, National AssociationCharlotte, NC | 15 | $7.4M | 2.7% | |
| 13 | United Midwest Savings Bank National AssociationDe Graff, OH | 15 | $3.4M | 2.7% | |
| 14 | Bank of Central FloridaLakeland, FL | 11 | $11.7M | 2.0% | |
| 15 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.Lake Success, NY | 8 | $7.8M | 1.4% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 48 | 8.7% | |
| 2 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 20 | 3.6% | |
| 3 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 19 | 3.4% | |
| 4 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 19 | 3.4% | |
| 5 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 18 | 3.3% | |
| 6 | Child Day Care ServicesNAICS 6244 | 17 | 3.1% | |
| 7 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 17 | 3.1% | |
| 8 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 17 | 3.1% | |
| 9 | Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll ServicesNAICS 5412 | 16 | 2.9% | |
| 10 | Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical ServicesNAICS 5419 | 14 | 2.5% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 67 | 12.1% | |
| 2 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 65 | 11.8% | |
| 3 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 64 | 11.6% | |
| 4 | Retail Trade | 61 | 11.1% | |
| 5 | Construction | 58 | 10.5% | |
| 6 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 57 | 10.3% | |
| 7 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 41 | 7.4% | |
| 8 | Manufacturing | 34 | 6.2% |
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* | 64 | $40.9M | $204K | 7 | $7.4M | 71 | 802 |
| FY2025 | 117 | $55.4M | $200K | 15 | $19.4M | 132 | 1,130 |
| FY2024 | 134 | $63.4M | $150K | 14 | $17.6M | 148 | 1,587 |
| FY2023 | 83 | $28.4M | $187K | 14 | $15.5M | 97 | 1,034 |
| FY2022 | 61 | $29.9M | $298K | 11 | $9.7M | 72 | 761 |
| FY2021 | 88 | $78.0M | $389K | 15 | $12.7M | 103 | 1,285 |
| FY2020 | 42 | $31.4M | $319K | 16 | $15.8M | 58 | 688 |
| FY2019 | 56 | $31.4M | $278K | 11 | $13.7M | 67 | 549 |
| FY2018 | 65 | $48.4M | $243K | 7 | $3.0M | 72 | 1,182 |
| FY2017 | 52 | $34.2M | $320K | 6 | $7.3M | 58 | 686 |
| FY2016 | 50 | $26.7M | $180K | 8 | $5.8M | 58 | 591 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 313 approvals.
Against Florida and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Polk County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 552 | 26,882 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 39.5 | 41.6 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $250K | $240K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $619K | $624K | $657K |
| Average approval | $598K | $609K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 12.5% | 13.4% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 10.5 | 10.4 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 2.1% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less17.9%99
- $50,001 to $150,00019.4%107
- $150,001 to $350,00022.3%123
- $350,001 to $1 million24.5%135
- $1 million to $2 million9.1%50
- Over $2 million6.9%38
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old51.8%286
- New business, 2 years or less17.8%98
- Startup, loan funds will open the business19.4%107
- Change of ownership11.1%61
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Polk County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: The Huntington National Bank (50), TD Bank, National Association (36), Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (32), BayFirst National Bank (32), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (32). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Polk County?
The median 7(a) approval was $250K and the median 504 approval $619K; the Florida 7(a) median was $240K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Polk County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (48); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (20); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (19); Building Equipment Contractors (19); General Freight Trucking (18).
Is SBA lending in Polk County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 377, against 233 in the three before: rising (+62%).
How does Polk County compare with the rest of Florida?
39.5 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 41.6 statewide, and 552 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