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County25th of 149 in Georgia by approvalsFIPS 13153
SBA loans in Houston County, Georgia
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 Houston County, Georgia, received 90 SBA loan approvals worth $85.6M in FY2021 to FY2025 (68 7(a), 22 504).
That is 31.8 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (2,832 establishments in 2023), below the Georgia figure of 39.2 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 25th of 149 Georgia counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 25, up 47% on FY2024.
39 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Florida Business Development Corporation (11), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (8) and Capital Partners Certified Development Company (7). 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 Houston County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 39 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida Business Development CorporationTampa, FL · CDC | 11 | $9.6M | 12.2% | |
| 2 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 8 | $444K | 8.9% | |
| 3 | Capital Partners Certified Development CompanyAtlanta, GA · CDC | 7 | $10.7M | 7.8% | |
| 4 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 7 | $7.7M | 7.8% | |
| 5 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 7 | $6.5M | 7.8% | |
| 6 | Pinnacle BankNashville, TN | 6 | $3.6M | 6.7% | |
| 7 | Georgia Certified Development CorporationAtlanta, GA · CDC | 4 | $6.6M | 4.4% | |
| 8 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 4 | $556K | 4.4% | |
| 9 | Metro City BankDoraville, GA | 2 | — | 2.2% | |
| 10 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 2 | — | 2.2% | |
| 11 | Vallant BankElberton, GA | 2 | — | 2.2% | |
| 12 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 2 | — | 2.2% | |
| 13 | Colony BankFitzgerald, GA | 2 | — | 2.2% | |
| 14 | First Business BankMadison, WI | 1 | — | 1.1% | |
| 15 | Exchange BankMilledgeville, GA | 1 | — | 1.1% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 16 | 17.8% | |
| 2 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 5 | 5.6% | |
| 3 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 5 | 5.6% | |
| 4 | Beer, Wine, and Liquor StoresNAICS 4453 | 4 | 4.4% | |
| 5 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 4 | 4.4% | |
| 6 | Health and Personal Care RetailersNAICS 4561 | 3 | 3.3% | |
| 7 | Drycleaning and Laundry ServicesNAICS 8123 | 3 | 3.3% | |
| 8 | Specialty Food StoresNAICS 4452 | 3 | 3.3% | |
| 9 | Grocery and Related Product Merchant WholesalersNAICS 4244 | 2 | 2.2% | |
| 10 | Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant WholesalersNAICS 4239 | 2 | 2.2% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 22 | 24.4% | |
| 2 | Retail Trade | 19 | 21.1% | |
| 3 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 12 | 13.3% | |
| 4 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 7 | 7.8% | |
| 5 | Wholesale Trade | 5 | 5.6% | |
| 6 | Construction | 5 | 5.6% | |
| 7 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 5.6% | |
| 8 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 4 | 4.4% |
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* | 10 | $10.8M | $388K | 3 | $1.5M | 13 | 134 |
| FY2025 | 20 | $16.8M | $180K | 5 | $6.2M | 25 | 322 |
| FY2024 | 13 | $16.5M | $750K | 4 | $6.6M | 17 | 307 |
| FY2023 | 16 | $13.5M | $416K | 4 | $4.5M | 20 | 125 |
| FY2022 | 9 | $5.0M | $50K | 6 | $6.7M | 15 | 147 |
| FY2021 | 10 | $6.9M | $422K | 3 | $2.8M | 13 | 150 |
| FY2020 | 7 | $11.6M | $1.3M | 0 | — | 7 | 162 |
| FY2019 | 14 | $7.3M | $312K | 4 | $6.3M | 18 | 195 |
| FY2018 | 13 | $6.0M | $350K | 5 | $2.4M | 18 | 205 |
| FY2017 | 12 | $10.3M | $317K | 0 | — | 12 | 95 |
| FY2016 | 6 | $5.6M | $680K | 0 | — | 6 | 101 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 61 approvals.
Against Georgia and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Houston County | Georgia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 90 | 10,246 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 31.8 | 39.2 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $345K | $350K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $859K | $820K | $657K |
| Average approval | $951K | $803K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 24.4% | 10.1% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 11.7 | 11.4 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 0.9% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less13.3%12
- $50,001 to $150,00017.8%16
- $150,001 to $350,00011.1%10
- $350,001 to $1 million26.7%24
- $1 million to $2 million14.4%13
- Over $2 million16.7%15
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old41.1%37
- New business, 2 years or less18.9%17
- Startup, loan funds will open the business28.9%26
- Change of ownership10.0%9
- Not answered1.1%1
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Houston County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Florida Business Development Corporation (11), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (8), Capital Partners Certified Development Company (7), The Huntington National Bank (7), Newtek Bank, National Association (7). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Houston County?
The median 7(a) approval was $345K and the median 504 approval $859K; the Georgia 7(a) median was $350K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Houston County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (16); Traveler Accommodation (5); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (5); Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores (4); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (4).
Is SBA lending in Houston County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 62, against 35 in the three before: rising (+77%).
How does Houston County compare with the rest of Georgia?
31.8 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 39.2 statewide, and 90 of the state's 10,246 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