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County6th of 99 in North Carolina by approvalsFIPS 37063
SBA loans in Durham County, North Carolina
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 Durham County, North Carolina, received 260 SBA loan approvals worth $213M in FY2021 to FY2025 (241 7(a), 19 504).
That is 31.4 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (8,282 establishments in 2023), close to the North Carolina figure of 28.5 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 6th of 99 North Carolina counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 67, about level with FY2024.
65 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Wells Fargo Bank National Association (21), TowneBank (16) and Northeast Bank (16). 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 Durham County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 65 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 21 | $3.4M | 8.1% | |
| 2 | TowneBankPortsmouth, VA | 16 | $15.0M | 6.2% | |
| 3 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 16 | $2.3M | 6.2% | |
| 4 | Business Expansion Funding CorporationCharlotte, NC · CDC | 13 | $11.3M | 5.0% | |
| 5 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 13 | $3.8M | 5.0% | |
| 6 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 11 | $10.8M | 4.2% | |
| 7 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 10 | $6.5M | 3.8% | |
| 8 | The Fidelity BankFuquay Varina, NC | 9 | $8.5M | 3.5% | |
| 9 | PNC Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 8 | $3.6M | 3.1% | |
| 10 | GBankLas Vegas, NV | 7 | $30.8M | 2.7% | |
| 11 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 7 | $980K | 2.7% | |
| 12 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationColumbus, OH | 7 | $944K | 2.7% | |
| 13 | TD Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 6 | $3.0M | 2.3% | |
| 14 | Bank of Oak RidgeOak Ridge, NC | 5 | $8.5M | 1.9% | |
| 15 | United Community BankGreenville, SC | 5 | $7.0M | 1.9% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 37 | 14.2% | |
| 2 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 16 | 6.2% | |
| 3 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 10 | 3.8% | |
| 4 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 10 | 3.8% | |
| 5 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 9 | 3.5% | |
| 6 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting ServicesNAICS 5416 | 9 | 3.5% | |
| 7 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 9 | 3.5% | |
| 8 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 7 | 2.7% | |
| 9 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 7 | 2.7% | |
| 10 | Beverage ManufacturingNAICS 3121 | 5 | 1.9% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 56 | 21.5% | |
| 2 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 32 | 12.3% | |
| 3 | Construction | 27 | 10.4% | |
| 4 | Retail Trade | 25 | 9.6% | |
| 5 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 24 | 9.2% | |
| 6 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 20 | 7.7% | |
| 7 | Transportation and Warehousing | 15 | 5.8% | |
| 8 | Manufacturing | 14 | 5.4% |
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* | 21 | $14.4M | $315K | 1 | — | 22 | 328 |
| FY2025 | 64 | $49.8M | $309K | 3 | $6.6M | 67 | 906 |
| FY2024 | 69 | $46.7M | $250K | 2 | — | 71 | 950 |
| FY2023 | 37 | $25.7M | $200K | 4 | $5.1M | 41 | 521 |
| FY2022 | 29 | $31.2M | $350K | 4 | $2.1M | 33 | 368 |
| FY2021 | 42 | $39.1M | $443K | 6 | $4.0M | 48 | 683 |
| FY2020 | 34 | $22.8M | $350K | 3 | $2.0M | 37 | 625 |
| FY2019 | 36 | $16.1M | $252K | 1 | — | 37 | 291 |
| FY2018 | 45 | $25.2M | $212K | 4 | $2.1M | 49 | 467 |
| FY2017 | 46 | $18.5M | $199K | 3 | $2.7M | 49 | 338 |
| FY2016 | 50 | $27.3M | $145K | 4 | $821K | 54 | 651 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 226 approvals.
Against North Carolina and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Durham County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 260 | 7,353 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 31.4 | 28.5 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $350K | $326K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $644K | $753K | $657K |
| Average approval | $819K | $731K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 7.3% | 6.4% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 13.2 | 12.2 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 3.5% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less19.6%51
- $50,001 to $150,00013.8%36
- $150,001 to $350,00015.8%41
- $350,001 to $1 million25.8%67
- $1 million to $2 million13.8%36
- Over $2 million11.2%29
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old42.7%111
- New business, 2 years or less23.1%60
- Startup, loan funds will open the business21.5%56
- Change of ownership12.7%33
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Durham County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Wells Fargo Bank National Association (21), TowneBank (16), Northeast Bank (16), Business Expansion Funding Corporation (13), Readycap Lending, LLC (13). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Durham County?
The median 7(a) approval was $350K and the median 504 approval $644K; the North Carolina 7(a) median was $326K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Durham County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (37); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (16); Traveler Accommodation (10); General Freight Trucking (10); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (9).
Is SBA lending in Durham County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 179, against 118 in the three before: rising (+52%).
How does Durham County compare with the rest of North Carolina?
31.4 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 28.5 statewide, and 260 of the state's 7,353 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