States › Georgia › Lowndes County
County30th of 149 in Georgia by approvalsFIPS 13185
SBA loans in Lowndes 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 Lowndes County, Georgia, received 61 SBA loan approvals worth $68.0M in FY2021 to FY2025 (54 7(a), 7 504).
That is 21.2 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (2,872 establishments in 2023), below the Georgia figure of 39.2 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 30th of 149 Georgia counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 19, up 90% on FY2024.
32 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Southern Georgia Area Development Corporation (5), Commercial Banking Company (4) and The Huntington National Bank (4). 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 Lowndes County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 32 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Georgia Area Development CorporationValdosta, GA · CDC | 5 | $2.5M | 8.2% | |
| 2 | Commercial Banking CompanyValdosta, GA | 4 | $1.4M | 6.6% | |
| 3 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 4 | $620K | 6.6% | |
| 4 | Farmers and Merchants BankLakeland, GA | 3 | $7.8M | 4.9% | |
| 5 | Renasant BankTupelo, MS | 3 | $7.7M | 4.9% | |
| 6 | Colony BankFitzgerald, GA | 3 | $6.6M | 4.9% | |
| 7 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.Lake Success, NY | 3 | $5.8M | 4.9% | |
| 8 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 3 | $2.0M | 4.9% | |
| 9 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 3 | $1.5M | 4.9% | |
| 10 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 2 | — | 3.3% | |
| 11 | First Port City BankBainbridge, GA | 2 | — | 3.3% | |
| 12 | Pineland BankAlma, GA | 2 | — | 3.3% | |
| 13 | First Community BankLexington, SC | 2 | — | 3.3% | |
| 14 | Guardian BankValdosta, GA | 2 | — | 3.3% | |
| 15 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 2 | — | 3.3% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 10 | 16.4% | |
| 2 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 8 | 13.1% | |
| 3 | Child Day Care ServicesNAICS 6244 | 3 | 4.9% | |
| 4 | Beer, Wine, and Liquor StoresNAICS 4453 | 2 | 3.3% | |
| 5 | Printing and Related Support ActivitiesNAICS 3231 | 2 | 3.3% | |
| 6 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 2 | 3.3% | |
| 7 | Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related ActivitiesNAICS 5242 | 2 | 3.3% | |
| 8 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 2 | 3.3% | |
| 9 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 2 | 3.3% | |
| 10 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 2 | 3.3% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 20 | 32.8% | |
| 2 | Retail Trade | 8 | 13.1% | |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 5 | 8.2% | |
| 4 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 5 | 8.2% | |
| 5 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 4 | 6.6% | |
| 6 | Construction | 4 | 6.6% | |
| 7 | Manufacturing | 3 | 4.9% | |
| 8 | Finance and Insurance | 2 | 3.3% |
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* | 6 | $4.8M | $197K | 1 | — | 7 | 90 |
| FY2025 | 18 | $16.8M | $388K | 1 | — | 19 | 246 |
| FY2024 | 9 | $10.2M | $252K | 1 | — | 10 | 96 |
| FY2023 | 7 | $1.6M | $100K | 0 | — | 7 | 49 |
| FY2022 | 10 | $12.9M | $832K | 2 | — | 12 | 154 |
| FY2021 | 10 | $21.9M | $2.2M | 3 | $1.5M | 13 | 377 |
| FY2020 | 7 | $9.4M | $250K | 1 | — | 8 | 93 |
| FY2019 | 13 | $13.1M | $565K | 1 | — | 14 | 336 |
| FY2018 | 9 | $11.1M | $708K | 1 | — | 10 | 118 |
| FY2017 | 9 | $6.5M | $300K | 2 | — | 11 | 168 |
| FY2016 | 8 | $9.1M | $248K | 3 | $894K | 11 | 345 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 54 approvals.
Against Georgia and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Lowndes County | Georgia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 61 | 10,246 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 21.2 | 39.2 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $495K | $350K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $621K | $820K | $657K |
| Average approval | $1.1M | $803K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 11.5% | 10.1% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 15.1 | 11.4 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 0.6% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less13.1%8
- $50,001 to $150,00011.5%7
- $150,001 to $350,00019.7%12
- $350,001 to $1 million24.6%15
- $1 million to $2 million6.6%4
- Over $2 million24.6%15
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old42.6%26
- New business, 2 years or less6.6%4
- Startup, loan funds will open the business29.5%18
- Change of ownership21.3%13
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Lowndes County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Southern Georgia Area Development Corporation (5), Commercial Banking Company (4), The Huntington National Bank (4), Farmers and Merchants Bank (3), Renasant Bank (3). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Lowndes County?
The median 7(a) approval was $495K and the median 504 approval $621K; the Georgia 7(a) median was $350K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Lowndes County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (10); Traveler Accommodation (8); Child Day Care Services (3); Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores (2); Printing and Related Support Activities (2).
Is SBA lending in Lowndes County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 36, against 33 in the three before: broadly level (+9%).
How does Lowndes County compare with the rest of Georgia?
21.2 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 39.2 statewide, and 61 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