States › Michigan › Kent County
County3rd of 83 in Michigan by approvalsFIPS 26081
SBA loans in Kent County, Michigan
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 Kent County, Michigan, received 1,301 SBA loan approvals worth $476M in FY2021 to FY2025 (1,201 7(a), 100 504).
That is 73.1 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (17,799 establishments in 2023), above the Michigan figure of 55.8 and above the national 41.0.
It ranks 3rd of 83 Michigan counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 237, down 19% on FY2024.
82 lenders had approvals here; the most active were The Huntington National Bank (796), Great Lakes Commercial Finance (66) and Fifth Third Bank (42). The most common industry was general freight trucking.
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 Kent County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 82 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 796 | $115M | 61.2% | |
| 2 | Great Lakes Commercial FinanceGrandville, MI · CDC | 66 | $51.4M | 5.1% | |
| 3 | Fifth Third BankCincinnati, OH | 42 | $28.1M | 3.2% | |
| 4 | Michigan Certified Development CorporationEast Lansing, MI · CDC | 33 | $36.9M | 2.5% | |
| 5 | Old National BankEvansville, IN | 29 | $19.7M | 2.2% | |
| 6 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 20 | $1.9M | 1.5% | |
| 7 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 16 | $19.3M | 1.2% | |
| 8 | Lake Michigan CUGrand Rapids, MI | 16 | $12.0M | 1.2% | |
| 9 | Horizon BankMichigan City, IN | 15 | $4.8M | 1.2% | |
| 10 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 14 | $11.5M | 1.1% | |
| 11 | ChoiceOne BankSparta, MI | 14 | $8.3M | 1.1% | |
| 12 | United Midwest Savings Bank National AssociationDe Graff, OH | 13 | $2.0M | 1.0% | |
| 13 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 13 | $1.8M | 1.0% | |
| 14 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.Lake Success, NY | 12 | $6.9M | 0.9% | |
| 15 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationColumbus, OH | 12 | $5.7M | 0.9% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 200 | 15.4% | |
| 2 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 94 | 7.2% | |
| 3 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 63 | 4.8% | |
| 4 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 46 | 3.5% | |
| 5 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 44 | 3.4% | |
| 6 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 41 | 3.2% | |
| 7 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 41 | 3.2% | |
| 8 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 40 | 3.1% | |
| 9 | Building Finishing ContractorsNAICS 2383 | 38 | 2.9% | |
| 10 | Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior ContractorsNAICS 2381 | 34 | 2.6% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transportation and Warehousing | 232 | 17.8% | |
| 2 | Construction | 211 | 16.2% | |
| 3 | Accommodation and Food Services | 115 | 8.8% | |
| 4 | Retail Trade | 111 | 8.5% | |
| 5 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 105 | 8.1% | |
| 6 | Manufacturing | 103 | 7.9% | |
| 7 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 93 | 7.1% | |
| 8 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 86 | 6.6% |
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* | 99 | $39.2M | $191K | 14 | $11.7M | 113 | 906 |
| FY2025 | 222 | $85.5M | $100K | 15 | $13.7M | 237 | 1,655 |
| FY2024 | 281 | $86.8M | $94K | 12 | $13.7M | 293 | 2,364 |
| FY2023 | 256 | $73.4M | $95K | 13 | $10.4M | 269 | 2,390 |
| FY2022 | 204 | $74.0M | $100K | 32 | $28.6M | 236 | 1,790 |
| FY2021 | 238 | $67.5M | $60K | 28 | $22.2M | 266 | 2,324 |
| FY2020 | 211 | $56.2M | $73K | 24 | $14.8M | 235 | 1,474 |
| FY2019 | 266 | $58.8M | $51K | 24 | $12.0M | 290 | 1,956 |
| FY2018 | 272 | $47.5M | $54K | 25 | $13.0M | 297 | 1,916 |
| FY2017 | 288 | $71.7M | $53K | 31 | $21.4M | 319 | 2,539 |
| FY2016 | 257 | $48.3M | $55K | 29 | $22.2M | 286 | 2,674 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 1,427 approvals.
Against Michigan and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Kent County | Michigan | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 1,301 | 12,809 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 73.1 | 55.8 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $93K | $125K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $601K | $540K | $657K |
| Average approval | $366K | $415K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 7.7% | 6.7% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 8.1 | 9.4 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 10.2% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less36.0%469
- $50,001 to $150,00025.0%325
- $150,001 to $350,00016.4%214
- $350,001 to $1 million13.4%174
- $1 million to $2 million5.6%73
- Over $2 million3.5%46
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old65.9%857
- New business, 2 years or less9.9%129
- Startup, loan funds will open the business16.3%212
- Change of ownership7.8%102
- Not answered0.1%1
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Kent County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: The Huntington National Bank (796), Great Lakes Commercial Finance (66), Fifth Third Bank (42), Michigan Certified Development Corporation (33), Old National Bank (29). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Kent County?
The median 7(a) approval was $93K and the median 504 approval $601K; the Michigan 7(a) median was $125K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Kent County?
General Freight Trucking (200); Restaurants and Other Eating Places (94); Services to Buildings and Dwellings (63); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (46); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (44).
Is SBA lending in Kent County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 799, against 737 in the three before: broadly level (+8%).
How does Kent County compare with the rest of Michigan?
73.1 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 55.8 statewide, and 1,301 of the state's 12,809 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