States › Mississippi › Forrest County
County10th of 75 in Mississippi by approvalsFIPS 28035
SBA loans in Forrest County, Mississippi
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 54 loans to businesses in Forrest County, Mississippi, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $18.5M: 53 under 7(a) and 1 under 504.
That is 31.0 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (1,741 establishments in 2023), close to the Mississippi figure of 28.6 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 10th of 75 Mississippi counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 13, up 18% on FY2024.
21 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Peoples Bank (10), Hancock Whitney Bank (7) and Trustmark Bank (7). 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 Forrest County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 21 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peoples BankMendenhall, MS | 10 | $4.8M | 18.5% | |
| 2 | Hancock Whitney BankGulfport, MS | 7 | $1.9M | 13.0% | |
| 3 | Trustmark BankJackson, MS | 7 | $940K | 13.0% | |
| 4 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 6 | $80K | 11.1% | |
| 5 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 4 | $400K | 7.4% | |
| 6 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 2 | — | 3.7% | |
| 7 | Southern Bancorp BankArkadelphia, AR | 2 | — | 3.7% | |
| 8 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 2 | — | 3.7% | |
| 9 | The Citizens National Bank of MeridianMeridian, MS | 2 | — | 3.7% | |
| 10 | Three Rivers Local Development Company, Inc.Pontotoc, MS · CDC | 1 | — | 1.9% | |
| 11 | GBankLas Vegas, NV | 1 | — | 1.9% | |
| 12 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 1 | — | 1.9% | |
| 13 | United Midwest Savings Bank National AssociationDe Graff, OH | 1 | — | 1.9% | |
| 14 | BankFirst Financial ServicesColumbus, MS | 1 | — | 1.9% | |
| 15 | Covington County BankCollins, MS | 1 | — | 1.9% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 8 | 14.8% | |
| 2 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 3 | 5.6% | |
| 3 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 2 | 3.7% | |
| 4 | Lessors of Real EstateNAICS 5311 | 2 | 3.7% | |
| 5 | Child Day Care ServicesNAICS 6244 | 2 | 3.7% | |
| 6 | LoggingNAICS 1133 | 2 | 3.7% | |
| 7 | Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire StoresNAICS 4413 | 2 | 3.7% | |
| 8 | Shoe RetailersNAICS 4582 | 2 | 3.7% | |
| 9 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 2 | 3.7% | |
| 10 | Health and Personal Care StoresNAICS 4461 | 2 | 3.7% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Trade | 14 | 25.9% | |
| 2 | Transportation and Warehousing | 10 | 18.5% | |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 6 | 11.1% | |
| 4 | Accommodation and Food Services | 5 | 9.3% | |
| 5 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 5 | 9.3% | |
| 6 | Construction | 4 | 7.4% | |
| 7 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 2 | 3.7% | |
| 8 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2 | 3.7% |
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* | 3 | $983K | $75K | 0 | — | 3 | 34 |
| FY2025 | 12 | $5.3M | $173K | 1 | — | 13 | 60 |
| FY2024 | 11 | $2.0M | $150K | 0 | — | 11 | 63 |
| FY2023 | 10 | $2.7M | $262K | 0 | — | 10 | 66 |
| FY2022 | 8 | $1.9M | $65K | 0 | — | 8 | 14 |
| FY2021 | 12 | $4.8M | $113K | 0 | — | 12 | 87 |
| FY2020 | 14 | $5.3M | $181K | 0 | — | 14 | 343 |
| FY2019 | 8 | $1.1M | $108K | 0 | — | 8 | 25 |
| FY2018 | 13 | $4.6M | $125K | 0 | — | 13 | 118 |
| FY2017 | 6 | $778K | $91K | 0 | — | 6 | 33 |
| FY2016 | 13 | $3.5M | $91K | 0 | — | 13 | 184 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 54 approvals.
Against Mississippi and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Forrest County | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 54 | 1,729 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 31.0 | 28.6 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $150K | $200K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | — | $1.1M | $657K |
| Average approval | $342K | $561K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 1.9% | 2.3% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 5.4 | 10.2 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 3.1% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less27.8%15
- $50,001 to $150,00022.2%12
- $150,001 to $350,00027.8%15
- $350,001 to $1 million11.1%6
- $1 million to $2 million11.1%6
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old33.3%18
- New business, 2 years or less27.8%15
- Startup, loan funds will open the business24.1%13
- Change of ownership14.8%8
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Forrest County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Peoples Bank (10), Hancock Whitney Bank (7), Trustmark Bank (7), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (6), Northeast Bank (4). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Forrest County?
The median 7(a) approval was $150K; the Mississippi 7(a) median was $200K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Forrest County?
General Freight Trucking (8); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (3); Traveler Accommodation (2); Lessors of Real Estate (2); Child Day Care Services (2).
Is SBA lending in Forrest County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 34, against 34 in the three before: broadly level (0%).
How does Forrest County compare with the rest of Mississippi?
31.0 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 28.6 statewide, and 54 of the state's 1,729 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