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County3rd of 47 in Montana by approvalsFIPS 30029
SBA loans in Flathead County, Montana
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 Flathead County, Montana, received 174 SBA loan approvals worth $92.0M in FY2021 to FY2025 (149 7(a), 25 504).
That is 34.2 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (5,092 establishments in 2023), close to the Montana figure of 30.8 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 3rd of 47 Montana counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 42, up 31% on FY2024.
34 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Three Rivers Bank of Montana (32), Glacier Bank (23) and Capital Matrix, Inc. (15). 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 Flathead County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 34 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three Rivers Bank of MontanaKalispell, MT | 32 | $17.7M | 18.4% | |
| 2 | Glacier BankKalispell, MT | 23 | $3.4M | 13.2% | |
| 3 | Capital Matrix, Inc.Boise, ID · CDC | 15 | $6.5M | 8.6% | |
| 4 | Freedom BankColumbia Falls, MT | 14 | $3.4M | 8.0% | |
| 5 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 12 | $3.2M | 6.9% | |
| 6 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 10 | $1.2M | 5.7% | |
| 7 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 8 | $7.5M | 4.6% | |
| 8 | Big Sky Economic Development CorporationBillings, MT · CDC | 6 | $4.5M | 3.4% | |
| 9 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 6 | $1.3M | 3.4% | |
| 10 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 6 | $833K | 3.4% | |
| 11 | The Yellowstone BankLaurel, MT | 4 | $2.9M | 2.3% | |
| 12 | Stockman Bank of MontanaMiles City, MT | 3 | $7.0M | 1.7% | |
| 13 | First Interstate BankBillings, MT | 3 | $3.9M | 1.7% | |
| 14 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 3 | $816K | 1.7% | |
| 15 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 3 | $792K | 1.7% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 15 | 8.6% | |
| 2 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 13 | 7.5% | |
| 3 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 10 | 5.7% | |
| 4 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 9 | 5.2% | |
| 5 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 7 | 4.0% | |
| 6 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 6 | 3.4% | |
| 7 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 6 | 3.4% | |
| 8 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 6 | 3.4% | |
| 9 | Health and Personal Care RetailersNAICS 4561 | 5 | 2.9% | |
| 10 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 4 | 2.3% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction | 32 | 18.4% | |
| 2 | Retail Trade | 27 | 15.5% | |
| 3 | Accommodation and Food Services | 21 | 12.1% | |
| 4 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 19 | 10.9% | |
| 5 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 18 | 10.3% | |
| 6 | Manufacturing | 9 | 5.2% | |
| 7 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 5.2% | |
| 8 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 7 | 4.0% |
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* | 23 | $20.0M | $250K | 3 | $1.8M | 26 | 156 |
| FY2025 | 38 | $21.3M | $341K | 4 | $3.2M | 42 | 267 |
| FY2024 | 28 | $14.0M | $105K | 4 | $3.0M | 32 | 246 |
| FY2023 | 24 | $9.3M | $89K | 7 | $4.5M | 31 | 465 |
| FY2022 | 24 | $7.0M | $62K | 4 | $1.9M | 28 | 464 |
| FY2021 | 35 | $24.7M | $306K | 6 | $3.1M | 41 | 440 |
| FY2020 | 32 | $12.9M | $68K | 3 | $1.2M | 35 | 239 |
| FY2019 | 24 | $17.3M | $273K | 2 | — | 26 | 251 |
| FY2018 | 34 | $9.6M | $92K | 3 | $2.9M | 37 | 308 |
| FY2017 | 41 | $19.4M | $245K | 2 | — | 43 | 507 |
| FY2016 | 47 | $11.5M | $90K | 4 | $1.6M | 51 | 417 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 192 approvals.
Against Montana and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Flathead County | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 174 | 1,312 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 34.2 | 30.8 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $150K | $200K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $372K | $469K | $657K |
| Average approval | $529K | $561K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 14.4% | 17.9% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 10.8 | 9.7 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 13.3% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less24.1%42
- $50,001 to $150,00020.1%35
- $150,001 to $350,00017.8%31
- $350,001 to $1 million24.7%43
- $1 million to $2 million7.5%13
- Over $2 million5.7%10
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old44.3%77
- New business, 2 years or less23.6%41
- Startup, loan funds will open the business20.1%35
- Change of ownership12.1%21
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Flathead County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Three Rivers Bank of Montana (32), Glacier Bank (23), Capital Matrix, Inc. (15), Freedom Bank (14), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (12). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Flathead County?
The median 7(a) approval was $150K and the median 504 approval $372K; the Montana 7(a) median was $200K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Flathead County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (15); Building Equipment Contractors (13); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (10); Personal Care Services (9); Residential Building Construction (7).
Is SBA lending in Flathead County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 105, against 104 in the three before: broadly level (+1%).
How does Flathead County compare with the rest of Montana?
34.2 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 30.8 statewide, and 174 of the state's 1,312 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