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County7th of 92 in Illinois by approvalsFIPS 17201
SBA loans in Winnebago County, Illinois
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 221 loans to businesses in Winnebago County, Illinois, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $147M: 177 under 7(a) and 44 under 504.
That is 35.2 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (6,286 establishments in 2023), close to the Illinois figure of 38.5 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 7th of 92 Illinois counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 52, about level with FY2024.
38 lenders had approvals here; the most active were The Huntington National Bank (37), Rockford Local Development Corporation (35) and St. Charles Bank & Trust Company, National Association (21). 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 Winnebago County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 38 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 37 | $7.0M | 16.7% | |
| 2 | Rockford Local Development CorporationRockford, IL · CDC | 35 | $27.7M | 15.8% | |
| 3 | St. Charles Bank & Trust Company, National AssociationSaint Charles, IL | 21 | $18.2M | 9.5% | |
| 4 | Byline BankChicago, IL | 12 | $11.9M | 5.4% | |
| 5 | Midland States BankEffingham, IL | 12 | $11.3M | 5.4% | |
| 6 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 9 | $757K | 4.1% | |
| 7 | Foresight BankWinnebago, IL | 8 | $2.5M | 3.6% | |
| 8 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 8 | $1.8M | 3.6% | |
| 9 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationColumbus, OH | 7 | $1.2M | 3.2% | |
| 10 | First Mid Bank & Trust, National AssociationMattoon, IL | 6 | $2.2M | 2.7% | |
| 11 | Millennium BankDes Plaines, IL | 5 | $11.9M | 2.3% | |
| 12 | UMB Bank, National AssociationKansas City, MO | 5 | $1.4M | 2.3% | |
| 13 | Village Bank and Trust, National AssociationArlington Heights, IL | 4 | $3.9M | 1.8% | |
| 14 | SomerCor 504, Inc.Chicago, IL · CDC | 4 | $3.0M | 1.8% | |
| 15 | Associated Bank National AssociationGreen Bay, WI | 4 | $2.2M | 1.8% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 18 | 8.1% | |
| 2 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt ManufacturingNAICS 3327 | 13 | 5.9% | |
| 3 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 13 | 5.9% | |
| 4 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 10 | 4.5% | |
| 5 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 9 | 4.1% | |
| 6 | Offices of DentistsNAICS 6212 | 8 | 3.6% | |
| 7 | Gasoline StationsNAICS 4571 | 7 | 3.2% | |
| 8 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 7 | 3.2% | |
| 9 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 6 | 2.7% | |
| 10 | Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant WholesalersNAICS 4249 | 6 | 2.7% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | 31 | 14.0% | |
| 2 | Construction | 29 | 13.1% | |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 26 | 11.8% | |
| 4 | Retail Trade | 26 | 11.8% | |
| 5 | Accommodation and Food Services | 25 | 11.3% | |
| 6 | Transportation and Warehousing | 21 | 9.5% | |
| 7 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 17 | 7.7% | |
| 8 | Wholesale Trade | 12 | 5.4% |
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* | 28 | $12.6M | $331K | 2 | — | 30 | 471 |
| FY2025 | 42 | $28.0M | $200K | 10 | $4.5M | 52 | 659 |
| FY2024 | 45 | $35.4M | $200K | 4 | $1.8M | 49 | 718 |
| FY2023 | 26 | $10.5M | $225K | 9 | $12.6M | 35 | 904 |
| FY2022 | 35 | $21.1M | $470K | 8 | $9.7M | 43 | 437 |
| FY2021 | 29 | $14.6M | $300K | 13 | $8.6M | 42 | 539 |
| FY2020 | 24 | $15.0M | $225K | 8 | $4.1M | 32 | 423 |
| FY2019 | 45 | $17.7M | $167K | 2 | — | 47 | 512 |
| FY2018 | 24 | $4.4M | $135K | 7 | $5.8M | 31 | 218 |
| FY2017 | 44 | $15.2M | $168K | 8 | $4.7M | 52 | 810 |
| FY2016 | 42 | $7.3M | $120K | 5 | $1.4M | 47 | 462 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 209 approvals.
Against Illinois and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Winnebago County | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 221 | 12,417 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 35.2 | 38.5 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $250K | $200K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $476K | $578K | $657K |
| Average approval | $664K | $581K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 19.9% | 14.2% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 14.7 | 11.4 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 1.8% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less15.4%34
- $50,001 to $150,00017.6%39
- $150,001 to $350,00021.3%47
- $350,001 to $1 million28.1%62
- $1 million to $2 million10.9%24
- Over $2 million6.8%15
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old53.4%118
- New business, 2 years or less13.6%30
- Startup, loan funds will open the business19.9%44
- Change of ownership13.1%29
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Winnebago County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: The Huntington National Bank (37), Rockford Local Development Corporation (35), St. Charles Bank & Trust Company, National Association (21), Byline Bank (12), Midland States Bank (12). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Winnebago County?
The median 7(a) approval was $250K and the median 504 approval $476K; the Illinois 7(a) median was $200K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Winnebago County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (18); Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing (13); General Freight Trucking (13); Residential Building Construction (10); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (9).
Is SBA lending in Winnebago County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 136, against 117 in the three before: rising (+16%).
How does Winnebago County compare with the rest of Illinois?
35.2 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 38.5 statewide, and 221 of the state's 12,417 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