States › Missouri › St. Louis County
County1st of 106 in Missouri by approvalsFIPS 29189
SBA loans in St. Louis County, 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.
Businesses in St. Louis County, Missouri, received 943 SBA loan approvals worth $618M in FY2021 to FY2025 (826 7(a), 117 504).
That is 31.7 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (29,717 establishments in 2023), below the Missouri figure of 37.6 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 1st of 106 Missouri counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 235, up 16% on FY2024.
110 lenders had approvals here; the most active were U.S. Bank, National Association (111), St. Charles County Economic Development Council (56) and The Huntington National Bank (39). 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 County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 110 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 111 | $22.6M | 11.8% | |
| 2 | St. Charles County Economic Development CouncilSt. Charles, MO · CDC | 56 | $49.7M | 5.9% | |
| 3 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 39 | $9.0M | 4.1% | |
| 4 | The Bank of HoustonHouston, MO | 34 | $31.6M | 3.6% | |
| 5 | Midwest Regional BankFestus, MO | 32 | $46.0M | 3.4% | |
| 6 | Commerce BankKansas City, MO | 32 | $12.7M | 3.4% | |
| 7 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 29 | $39.9M | 3.1% | |
| 8 | St. Louis BankSt. Louis, MO | 29 | $28.2M | 3.1% | |
| 9 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 28 | $3.8M | 3.0% | |
| 10 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 27 | $14.8M | 2.9% | |
| 11 | Rural Missouri, Inc.Jefferson City, MO · CDC | 25 | $26.0M | 2.7% | |
| 12 | American Bank of FreedomWellsville, MO | 22 | $17.0M | 2.3% | |
| 13 | STL Partnership CDCSt. Louis, MO · CDC | 21 | $15.6M | 2.2% | |
| 14 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 21 | $2.2M | 2.2% | |
| 15 | Bank of SpringfieldSpringfield, IL | 18 | $14.5M | 1.9% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 61 | 6.5% | |
| 2 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 56 | 5.9% | |
| 3 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 41 | 4.3% | |
| 4 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 33 | 3.5% | |
| 5 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 32 | 3.4% | |
| 6 | Other Personal ServicesNAICS 8129 | 28 | 3.0% | |
| 7 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 27 | 2.9% | |
| 8 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 25 | 2.7% | |
| 9 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 24 | 2.5% | |
| 10 | Building Finishing ContractorsNAICS 2383 | 21 | 2.2% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 127 | 13.5% | |
| 2 | Construction | 123 | 13.0% | |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 109 | 11.6% | |
| 4 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 101 | 10.7% | |
| 5 | Accommodation and Food Services | 84 | 8.9% | |
| 6 | Manufacturing | 75 | 8.0% | |
| 7 | Retail Trade | 71 | 7.5% | |
| 8 | Wholesale Trade | 59 | 6.3% |
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* | 106 | $83.2M | $280K | 7 | $11.2M | 113 | 1,289 |
| FY2025 | 215 | $132M | $280K | 20 | $31.3M | 235 | 2,462 |
| FY2024 | 186 | $102M | $200K | 16 | $13.4M | 202 | 2,795 |
| FY2023 | 145 | $88.9M | $250K | 21 | $21.7M | 166 | 2,509 |
| FY2022 | 116 | $62.1M | $246K | 28 | $17.1M | 144 | 1,642 |
| FY2021 | 164 | $122M | $311K | 32 | $27.1M | 196 | 2,216 |
| FY2020 | 125 | $76.3M | $250K | 15 | $13.5M | 140 | 2,457 |
| FY2019 | 136 | $74.1M | $200K | 20 | $24.9M | 156 | 2,046 |
| FY2018 | 182 | $95.6M | $218K | 25 | $13.3M | 207 | 2,299 |
| FY2017 | 174 | $94.8M | $245K | 18 | $8.5M | 192 | 2,205 |
| FY2016 | 174 | $78.5M | $250K | 17 | $14.5M | 191 | 2,113 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 886 approvals.
Against Missouri and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | St. Louis County | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 943 | 5,688 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 31.7 | 37.6 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $250K | $225K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $644K | $553K | $657K |
| Average approval | $655K | $569K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 12.4% | 9.9% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 12.3 | 11.0 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 16.6% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less16.8%158
- $50,001 to $150,00020.5%193
- $150,001 to $350,00020.1%190
- $350,001 to $1 million25.1%237
- $1 million to $2 million9.7%91
- Over $2 million7.8%74
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old54.1%510
- New business, 2 years or less11.8%111
- Startup, loan funds will open the business19.2%181
- Change of ownership14.8%140
- Not answered0.1%1
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in St. Louis County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: U.S. Bank, National Association (111), St. Charles County Economic Development Council (56), The Huntington National Bank (39), The Bank of Houston (34), Midwest Regional Bank (32). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in St. Louis County?
The median 7(a) approval was $250K and the median 504 approval $644K; the Missouri 7(a) median was $225K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in St. Louis County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (61); Personal Care Services (56); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (41); Building Equipment Contractors (33); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (32).
Is SBA lending in St. Louis County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 603, against 480 in the three before: rising (+26%).
How does St. Louis County compare with the rest of Missouri?
31.7 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 37.6 statewide, and 943 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