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County12th of 75 in Mississippi by approvalsFIPS 28087
SBA loans in Lowndes 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.
Businesses in Lowndes County, Mississippi, received 45 SBA loan approvals worth $27.2M in FY2021 to FY2025 (45 7(a), 0 504).
That is 31.3 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (1,440 establishments in 2023), close to the Mississippi figure of 28.6 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 12th of 75 Mississippi counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 11.
17 lenders had approvals here; the most active were BankFirst Financial Services (20), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (4) and Newtek Bank, National Association (4). 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 Lowndes County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 17 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BankFirst Financial ServicesColumbus, MS | 20 | $3.6M | 44.4% | |
| 2 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 4 | $2.3M | 8.9% | |
| 3 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 4 | $615K | 8.9% | |
| 4 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 2 | — | 4.4% | |
| 5 | The Citizens National Bank of MeridianMeridian, MS | 2 | — | 4.4% | |
| 6 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 2 | — | 4.4% | |
| 7 | GBankLas Vegas, NV | 1 | — | 2.2% | |
| 8 | FDIC - Community Bank & Trust-West GeorgiaLagrange, GA | 1 | — | 2.2% | |
| 9 | United Business BankWalnut Creek, CA | 1 | — | 2.2% | |
| 10 | Midwest Regional BankFestus, MO | 1 | — | 2.2% | |
| 11 | Guaranty Bank and Trust CompanyBelzoni, MS | 1 | — | 2.2% | |
| 12 | Hancock Whitney BankGulfport, MS | 1 | — | 2.2% | |
| 13 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 1 | — | 2.2% | |
| 14 | Trustmark BankJackson, MS | 1 | — | 2.2% | |
| 15 | Peoples BankMendenhall, MS | 1 | — | 2.2% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 9 | 20.0% | |
| 2 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 4 | 8.9% | |
| 3 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 3 | 6.7% | |
| 4 | Offices of PhysiciansNAICS 6211 | 3 | 6.7% | |
| 5 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 2 | 4.4% | |
| 6 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 2 | 4.4% | |
| 7 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 2 | 4.4% | |
| 8 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 2 | 4.4% | |
| 9 | Gasoline StationsNAICS 4571 | 1 | 2.2% | |
| 10 | Beer, Wine, and Liquor StoresNAICS 4453 | 1 | 2.2% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transportation and Warehousing | 9 | 20.0% | |
| 2 | Accommodation and Food Services | 6 | 13.3% | |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 6 | 13.3% | |
| 4 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 4 | 8.9% | |
| 5 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 4 | 8.9% | |
| 6 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 8.9% | |
| 7 | Retail Trade | 3 | 6.7% | |
| 8 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 3 | 6.7% |
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* | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 36 |
| FY2025 | 11 | $8.9M | $204K | 0 | — | 11 | 66 |
| FY2024 | 6 | $1.4M | $52K | 0 | — | 6 | 32 |
| FY2023 | 5 | $4.5M | $380K | 0 | — | 5 | 55 |
| FY2022 | 12 | $7.4M | $123K | 0 | — | 12 | 118 |
| FY2021 | 11 | $5.1M | $129K | 0 | — | 11 | 70 |
| FY2020 | 9 | $18.6M | $1.5M | 0 | — | 9 | 147 |
| FY2019 | 4 | $798K | $199K | 0 | — | 4 | 23 |
| FY2018 | 6 | $5.5M | $816K | 0 | — | 6 | 124 |
| FY2017 | 2 | — | — | 0 | — | 2 | 21 |
| FY2016 | 8 | $3.8M | $303K | 0 | — | 8 | 337 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 29 approvals.
Against Mississippi and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Lowndes County | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 45 | 1,729 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 31.3 | 28.6 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $123K | $200K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | — | $1.1M | $657K |
| Average approval | $605K | $561K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 0.0% | 2.3% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 7.6 | 10.2 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 2.6% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less26.7%12
- $50,001 to $150,00031.1%14
- $150,001 to $350,00011.1%5
- $350,001 to $1 million13.3%6
- $1 million to $2 million6.7%3
- Over $2 million11.1%5
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old48.9%22
- New business, 2 years or less17.8%8
- Startup, loan funds will open the business20.0%9
- Change of ownership13.3%6
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Lowndes County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: BankFirst Financial Services (20), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (4), Newtek Bank, National Association (4), Celtic Bank Corporation (2), The Citizens National Bank of Meridian (2). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Lowndes County?
The median 7(a) approval was $123K; the Mississippi 7(a) median was $200K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Lowndes County?
General Freight Trucking (9); Traveler Accommodation (4); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (3); Offices of Physicians (3); Restaurants and Other Eating Places (2).
Is SBA lending in Lowndes County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 22, against 32 in the three before: falling (-31%).
How does Lowndes County compare with the rest of Mississippi?
31.3 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 28.6 statewide, and 45 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