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County7th of 47 in Montana by approvalsFIPS 30047
SBA loans in Lake 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 Lake County, Montana, received 50 SBA loan approvals worth $19.0M in FY2021 to FY2025 (47 7(a), 3 504).
That is 50.5 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (991 establishments in 2023), above the Montana figure of 30.8 and above the national 41.0.
It ranks 7th of 47 Montana counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 14.
12 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Valley Bank of Ronan (31), Newtek Bank, National Association (4) and Byline Bank (2). 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 Lake County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 12 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valley Bank of RonanRonan, MT | 31 | $12.2M | 62.0% | |
| 2 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 4 | $2.9M | 8.0% | |
| 3 | Byline BankChicago, IL | 2 | — | 4.0% | |
| 4 | Big Sky Economic Development CorporationBillings, MT · CDC | 2 | — | 4.0% | |
| 5 | Glacier BankKalispell, MT | 2 | — | 4.0% | |
| 6 | First Interstate BankBillings, MT | 2 | — | 4.0% | |
| 7 | Montana Community Development Corp.Missoula, MT | 2 | — | 4.0% | |
| 8 | First Internet Bank of IndianaFishers, IN | 1 | — | 2.0% | |
| 9 | Capital Matrix, Inc.Boise, ID · CDC | 1 | — | 2.0% | |
| 10 | Unity BankAugusta, WI | 1 | — | 2.0% | |
| 11 | Colony BankFitzgerald, GA | 1 | — | 2.0% | |
| 12 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 1 | — | 2.0% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 5 | 10.0% | |
| 2 | Specialty Food StoresNAICS 4452 | 3 | 6.0% | |
| 3 | Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical ServicesNAICS 5419 | 3 | 6.0% | |
| 4 | Building Material and Supplies DealersNAICS 4441 | 2 | 4.0% | |
| 5 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 2 | 4.0% | |
| 6 | Building Finishing ContractorsNAICS 2383 | 2 | 4.0% | |
| 7 | Lessors of Real EstateNAICS 5311 | 2 | 4.0% | |
| 8 | Other Miscellaneous Store RetailersNAICS 4539 | 2 | 4.0% | |
| 9 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 2 | 4.0% | |
| 10 | Grocery and Related Product Merchant WholesalersNAICS 4244 | 2 | 4.0% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Trade | 12 | 24.0% | |
| 2 | Construction | 9 | 18.0% | |
| 3 | Accommodation and Food Services | 5 | 10.0% | |
| 4 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 6.0% | |
| 5 | Manufacturing | 3 | 6.0% | |
| 6 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 3 | 6.0% | |
| 7 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 3 | 6.0% | |
| 8 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 6.0% |
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* | 4 | $2.2M | $368K | 0 | — | 4 | 38 |
| FY2025 | 12 | $6.4M | $210K | 2 | — | 14 | 139 |
| FY2024 | 6 | $2.5M | $161K | 0 | — | 6 | 31 |
| FY2023 | 5 | $1.3M | $170K | 0 | — | 5 | 72 |
| FY2022 | 12 | $4.5M | $80K | 1 | — | 13 | 100 |
| FY2021 | 12 | $3.5M | $207K | 0 | — | 12 | 56 |
| FY2020 | 6 | $806K | $122K | 1 | — | 7 | 26 |
| FY2019 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 6 |
| FY2018 | 4 | $623K | $128K | 0 | — | 4 | 25 |
| FY2017 | 8 | $1.2M | $77K | 0 | — | 8 | 40 |
| FY2016 | 10 | $1.0M | $85K | 0 | — | 10 | 58 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 32 approvals.
Against Montana and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Lake County | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 50 | 1,312 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 50.5 | 30.8 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $170K | $200K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $253K | $469K | $657K |
| Average approval | $380K | $561K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 6.0% | 17.9% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 8.0 | 9.7 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 3.8% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less16.0%8
- $50,001 to $150,00030.0%15
- $150,001 to $350,00030.0%15
- $350,001 to $1 million12.0%6
- $1 million to $2 million12.0%6
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old72.0%36
- New business, 2 years or less10.0%5
- Startup, loan funds will open the business12.0%6
- Change of ownership6.0%3
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Lake County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Valley Bank of Ronan (31), Newtek Bank, National Association (4), Byline Bank (2), Big Sky Economic Development Corporation (2), Glacier Bank (2). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Lake County?
The median 7(a) approval was $170K and the median 504 approval $253K; the Montana 7(a) median was $200K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Lake County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (5); Specialty Food Stores (3); Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (3); Building Material and Supplies Dealers (2); Building Equipment Contractors (2).
Is SBA lending in Lake County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 25, against 32 in the three before: falling (-22%).
How does Lake County compare with the rest of Montana?
50.5 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 30.8 statewide, and 50 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