States › Indiana › Howard County
County21st of 92 in Indiana by approvalsFIPS 18067
SBA loans in Howard County, Indiana
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 Howard County, Indiana, received 69 SBA loan approvals worth $37.0M in FY2021 to FY2025 (64 7(a), 5 504).
That is 38.1 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (1,813 establishments in 2023), close to the Indiana figure of 43.6 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 21st of 92 Indiana counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 16, down 11% on FY2024.
25 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Community First Bank of Indiana (17), The Huntington National Bank (13) and Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corporation (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 Howard County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 25 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Community First Bank of IndianaKokomo, IN | 17 | $12.6M | 24.6% | |
| 2 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 13 | $2.9M | 18.8% | |
| 3 | Indiana Statewide Certified Development CorporationIndianapolis, IN · CDC | 4 | $3.3M | 5.8% | |
| 4 | Centier BankWhiting, IN | 4 | $1.5M | 5.8% | |
| 5 | STAR Financial BankFort Wayne, IN | 4 | $446K | 5.8% | |
| 6 | East West BankPasadena, CA | 2 | — | 2.9% | |
| 7 | First Farmers Bank and Trust CoConverse, IN | 2 | — | 2.9% | |
| 8 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 2 | — | 2.9% | |
| 9 | Old National BankEvansville, IN | 2 | — | 2.9% | |
| 10 | Peoples BankMendenhall, MS | 2 | — | 2.9% | |
| 11 | Flagship Enterprise Center, Inc. (dba Bankable)Anderson, IN | 2 | — | 2.9% | |
| 12 | PNC Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 2 | — | 2.9% | |
| 13 | First Bank of the LakeOsage Beach, MO | 1 | — | 1.4% | |
| 14 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 1 | — | 1.4% | |
| 15 | Merchants Bank of IndianaCarmel, IN | 1 | — | 1.4% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 10 | 14.5% | |
| 2 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 7 | 10.1% | |
| 3 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 6 | 8.7% | |
| 4 | Gasoline StationsNAICS 4571 | 4 | 5.8% | |
| 5 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 4 | 5.8% | |
| 6 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 3 | 4.3% | |
| 7 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt ManufacturingNAICS 3327 | 3 | 4.3% | |
| 8 | Offices of DentistsNAICS 6212 | 3 | 4.3% | |
| 9 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 3 | 4.3% | |
| 10 | Other Personal ServicesNAICS 8129 | 2 | 2.9% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Trade | 15 | 21.7% | |
| 2 | Accommodation and Food Services | 12 | 17.4% | |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 7 | 10.1% | |
| 4 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 7 | 10.1% | |
| 5 | Transportation and Warehousing | 6 | 8.7% | |
| 6 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 5 | 7.2% | |
| 7 | Construction | 5 | 7.2% | |
| 8 | Manufacturing | 4 | 5.8% |
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 | $11.9M | $822K | 0 | — | 10 | 156 |
| FY2025 | 14 | $6.1M | $138K | 2 | — | 16 | 103 |
| FY2024 | 18 | $12.1M | $126K | 0 | — | 18 | 419 |
| FY2023 | 12 | $7.6M | $466K | 2 | — | 14 | 117 |
| FY2022 | 6 | $3.0M | $435K | 0 | — | 6 | 102 |
| FY2021 | 14 | $4.8M | $202K | 1 | — | 15 | 94 |
| FY2020 | 7 | $3.3M | $128K | 0 | — | 7 | 63 |
| FY2019 | 7 | $2.6M | $250K | 0 | — | 7 | 74 |
| FY2018 | 6 | $3.0M | $102K | 3 | $2.6M | 9 | 85 |
| FY2017 | 7 | $3.6M | $130K | 3 | $1.3M | 10 | 130 |
| FY2016 | 7 | $7.9M | $450K | 0 | — | 7 | 236 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 40 approvals.
Against Indiana and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Howard County | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 69 | 6,784 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 38.1 | 43.6 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $217K | $150K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $735K | $522K | $657K |
| Average approval | $536K | $500K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 7.2% | 10.8% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 12.1 | 10.3 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 1.0% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less24.6%17
- $50,001 to $150,00017.4%12
- $150,001 to $350,00017.4%12
- $350,001 to $1 million21.7%15
- $1 million to $2 million15.9%11
- Over $2 million2.9%2
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old49.3%34
- New business, 2 years or less18.8%13
- Startup, loan funds will open the business18.8%13
- Change of ownership13.0%9
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Howard County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Community First Bank of Indiana (17), The Huntington National Bank (13), Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corporation (4), Centier Bank (4), STAR Financial Bank (4). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Howard County?
The median 7(a) approval was $217K and the median 504 approval $735K; the Indiana 7(a) median was $150K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Howard County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (10); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (7); General Freight Trucking (6); Gasoline Stations (4); Other Specialty Trade Contractors (4).
Is SBA lending in Howard County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 48, against 28 in the three before: rising (+71%).
How does Howard County compare with the rest of Indiana?
38.1 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 43.6 statewide, and 69 of the state's 6,784 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