States › Florida › Walton County
County31st of 67 in Florida by approvalsFIPS 12131
SBA loans in Walton 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.
SBA approved 140 loans to businesses in Walton County, Florida, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $105M: 112 under 7(a) and 28 under 504.
That is 41.8 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (3,348 establishments in 2023), close to the Florida figure of 41.6 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 31st of 67 Florida counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 35, about level with FY2024.
44 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Florida Business Development Corporation (15), Hancock Whitney Bank (14) and Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (12). 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 Walton County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 44 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida Business Development CorporationTampa, FL · CDC | 15 | $9.8M | 10.7% | |
| 2 | Hancock Whitney BankGulfport, MS | 14 | $5.3M | 10.0% | |
| 3 | Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc.Tallahassee, FL · CDC | 12 | $16.6M | 8.6% | |
| 4 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 11 | $4.6M | 7.9% | |
| 5 | United Community BankGreenville, SC | 7 | $5.7M | 5.0% | |
| 6 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 6 | $2.6M | 4.3% | |
| 7 | Community Bank of MississippiFlowood, MS | 5 | $1.8M | 3.6% | |
| 8 | First Internet Bank of IndianaFishers, IN | 4 | $6.2M | 2.9% | |
| 9 | VelocitySBA, LLCIrving, TX | 4 | $3.6M | 2.9% | |
| 10 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 4 | $2.3M | 2.9% | |
| 11 | Bankwell BankNew Canaan, CT | 4 | $2.0M | 2.9% | |
| 12 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 4 | $631K | 2.9% | |
| 13 | Trustmark BankJackson, MS | 4 | $482K | 2.9% | |
| 14 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 3 | $8.3M | 2.1% | |
| 15 | Citizens BankElizabethton, TN | 3 | $1.3M | 2.1% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 28 | 20.0% | |
| 2 | Activities Related to Real EstateNAICS 5313 | 9 | 6.4% | |
| 3 | Consumer Goods RentalNAICS 5322 | 8 | 5.7% | |
| 4 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 6 | 4.3% | |
| 5 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 6 | 4.3% | |
| 6 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 5 | 3.6% | |
| 7 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 4 | 2.9% | |
| 8 | Offices of DentistsNAICS 6212 | 3 | 2.1% | |
| 9 | Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll ServicesNAICS 5412 | 3 | 2.1% | |
| 10 | Furniture and Home Furnishings RetailersNAICS 4491 | 3 | 2.1% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 33 | 23.6% | |
| 2 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 20 | 14.3% | |
| 3 | Retail Trade | 16 | 11.4% | |
| 4 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 13 | 9.3% | |
| 5 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 12 | 8.6% | |
| 6 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11 | 7.9% | |
| 7 | Construction | 9 | 6.4% | |
| 8 | Manufacturing | 5 | 3.6% |
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* | 23 | $13.3M | $350K | 3 | $3.4M | 26 | 252 |
| FY2025 | 29 | $17.3M | $400K | 6 | $11.6M | 35 | 540 |
| FY2024 | 33 | $30.8M | $250K | 4 | $1.6M | 37 | 601 |
| FY2023 | 17 | $8.8M | $360K | 4 | $5.2M | 21 | 321 |
| FY2022 | 16 | $7.5M | $264K | 4 | $7.3M | 20 | 174 |
| FY2021 | 17 | $8.7M | $400K | 10 | $6.1M | 27 | 185 |
| FY2020 | 18 | $7.5M | $270K | 10 | $6.0M | 28 | 474 |
| FY2019 | 11 | $4.0M | $164K | 5 | $2.9M | 16 | 189 |
| FY2018 | 16 | $4.2M | $139K | 2 | — | 18 | 140 |
| FY2017 | 14 | $3.2M | $94K | 3 | $1.5M | 17 | 127 |
| FY2016 | 17 | $8.7M | $209K | 1 | — | 18 | 273 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 97 approvals.
Against Florida and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Walton County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 140 | 26,882 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 41.8 | 41.6 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $350K | $240K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $745K | $624K | $657K |
| Average approval | $750K | $609K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 20.0% | 13.4% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 13.0 | 10.4 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 0.5% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less10.0%14
- $50,001 to $150,00013.6%19
- $150,001 to $350,00022.1%31
- $350,001 to $1 million35.0%49
- $1 million to $2 million10.7%15
- Over $2 million8.6%12
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old51.4%72
- New business, 2 years or less12.9%18
- Startup, loan funds will open the business18.6%26
- Change of ownership17.1%24
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Walton County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Florida Business Development Corporation (15), Hancock Whitney Bank (14), Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (12), Newtek Bank, National Association (11), United Community Bank (7). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Walton County?
The median 7(a) approval was $350K and the median 504 approval $745K; the Florida 7(a) median was $240K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Walton County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (28); Activities Related to Real Estate (9); Consumer Goods Rental (8); Other Specialty Trade Contractors (6); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (6).
Is SBA lending in Walton County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 93, against 75 in the three before: rising (+24%).
How does Walton County compare with the rest of Florida?
41.8 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 41.6 statewide, and 140 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