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County6th of 106 in Missouri by approvalsFIPS 29510
SBA loans in St. Louis city, Missouri
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 255 loans to businesses in St. Louis city, Missouri, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $137M: 215 under 7(a) and 40 under 504.
That is 30.1 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (8,468 establishments in 2023), below the Missouri figure of 37.6 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 6th of 106 Missouri counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 50, about level with FY2024.
62 lenders had approvals here; the most active were U.S. Bank, National Association (41), Midwest Regional Bank (18) and The Bank of Houston (16). 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 St. Louis city
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 62 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 41 | $5.3M | 16.1% | |
| 2 | Midwest Regional BankFestus, MO | 18 | $10.2M | 7.1% | |
| 3 | The Bank of HoustonHouston, MO | 16 | $12.1M | 6.3% | |
| 4 | St. Louis Local Development CompanySt. Louis, MO · CDC | 14 | $7.3M | 5.5% | |
| 5 | St. Charles County Economic Development CouncilSt. Charles, MO · CDC | 12 | $5.0M | 4.7% | |
| 6 | Bank of SpringfieldSpringfield, IL | 9 | $4.1M | 3.5% | |
| 7 | Peoples National Bank National AssociationMcLeansboro, IL | 8 | $2.6M | 3.1% | |
| 8 | Small Business Growth CorporationSpringfield, IL · CDC | 7 | $13.6M | 2.7% | |
| 9 | Rural Missouri, Inc.Jefferson City, MO · CDC | 7 | $4.4M | 2.7% | |
| 10 | St. Louis BankSt. Louis, MO | 6 | $6.0M | 2.4% | |
| 11 | Regions BankBirmingham, AL | 6 | $5.6M | 2.4% | |
| 12 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 6 | $942K | 2.4% | |
| 13 | Justine Petersen Housing & Reinvestment CorporationSt. Louis, MO | 6 | $742K | 2.4% | |
| 14 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 6 | $420K | 2.4% | |
| 15 | Busey BankChampaign, IL | 4 | $1.7M | 1.6% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 31 | 12.2% | |
| 2 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 13 | 5.1% | |
| 3 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting ServicesNAICS 5416 | 11 | 4.3% | |
| 4 | Beverage ManufacturingNAICS 3121 | 8 | 3.1% | |
| 5 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 7 | 2.7% | |
| 6 | Grocery and Related Product Merchant WholesalersNAICS 4244 | 6 | 2.4% | |
| 7 | Individual and Family ServicesNAICS 6241 | 6 | 2.4% | |
| 8 | Offices of PhysiciansNAICS 6211 | 5 | 2.0% | |
| 9 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 5 | 2.0% | |
| 10 | Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical ServicesNAICS 5419 | 5 | 2.0% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 41 | 16.1% | |
| 2 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 35 | 13.7% | |
| 3 | Retail Trade | 31 | 12.2% | |
| 4 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 27 | 10.6% | |
| 5 | Manufacturing | 25 | 9.8% | |
| 6 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 24 | 9.4% | |
| 7 | Wholesale Trade | 18 | 7.1% | |
| 8 | Construction | 13 | 5.1% |
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* | 38 | $20.5M | $365K | 2 | — | 40 | 377 |
| FY2025 | 48 | $23.5M | $214K | 2 | — | 50 | 444 |
| FY2024 | 45 | $17.0M | $150K | 5 | $3.1M | 50 | 515 |
| FY2023 | 36 | $22.8M | $200K | 8 | $9.7M | 44 | 909 |
| FY2022 | 42 | $21.1M | $275K | 13 | $6.1M | 55 | 701 |
| FY2021 | 44 | $21.9M | $297K | 12 | $9.0M | 56 | 383 |
| FY2020 | 39 | $15.0M | $188K | 8 | $3.7M | 47 | 476 |
| FY2019 | 43 | $22.7M | $220K | 8 | $2.8M | 51 | 465 |
| FY2018 | 47 | $19.3M | $240K | 6 | $2.3M | 53 | 431 |
| FY2017 | 56 | $19.4M | $150K | 6 | $1.7M | 62 | 716 |
| FY2016 | 46 | $25.8M | $150K | 5 | $4.3M | 51 | 512 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 264 approvals.
Against Missouri and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | St. Louis city | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 255 | 5,688 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 30.1 | 37.6 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $204K | $225K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $386K | $553K | $657K |
| Average approval | $536K | $569K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 15.7% | 9.9% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 11.6 | 11.0 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 4.5% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less17.6%45
- $50,001 to $150,00022.0%56
- $150,001 to $350,00027.5%70
- $350,001 to $1 million20.8%53
- $1 million to $2 million5.9%15
- Over $2 million6.3%16
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old60.4%154
- New business, 2 years or less11.4%29
- Startup, loan funds will open the business17.6%45
- Change of ownership10.2%26
- Not answered0.4%1
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in St. Louis city?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: U.S. Bank, National Association (41), Midwest Regional Bank (18), The Bank of Houston (16), St. Louis Local Development Company (14), St. Charles County Economic Development Council (12). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in St. Louis city?
The median 7(a) approval was $204K and the median 504 approval $386K; the Missouri 7(a) median was $225K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in St. Louis city?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (31); Personal Care Services (13); Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (11); Beverage Manufacturing (8); General Freight Trucking (7).
Is SBA lending in St. Louis city rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 144, against 158 in the three before: broadly level (-9%).
How does St. Louis city compare with the rest of Missouri?
30.1 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 37.6 statewide, and 255 of the state's 5,688 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