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County3rd of 99 in North Carolina by approvalsFIPS 37081
SBA loans in Guilford 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.
SBA approved 373 loans to businesses in Guilford County, North Carolina, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $296M: 343 under 7(a) and 30 under 504.
That is 26.1 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (14,306 establishments in 2023), close to the North Carolina figure of 28.5 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 3rd of 99 North Carolina counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 100, up 12% on FY2024.
74 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Bank of Oak Ridge (34), Live Oak Banking Company (29) and Northeast Bank (27). 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 Guilford County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 74 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bank of Oak RidgeOak Ridge, NC | 34 | $22.0M | 9.1% | |
| 2 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 29 | $31.2M | 7.8% | |
| 3 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 27 | $3.5M | 7.2% | |
| 4 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 26 | $2.9M | 7.0% | |
| 5 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 20 | $15.8M | 5.4% | |
| 6 | Business Expansion Funding CorporationCharlotte, NC · CDC | 19 | $28.3M | 5.1% | |
| 7 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 15 | $2.9M | 4.0% | |
| 8 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 14 | $3.5M | 3.8% | |
| 9 | Pinnacle BankNashville, TN | 12 | $8.0M | 3.2% | |
| 10 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 10 | $2.5M | 2.7% | |
| 11 | First National Bank of PennsylvaniaGreenville, PA | 9 | $15.5M | 2.4% | |
| 12 | TowneBankPortsmouth, VA | 9 | $7.0M | 2.4% | |
| 13 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 9 | $2.1M | 2.4% | |
| 14 | First BankSouthern Pines, NC | 8 | $7.9M | 2.1% | |
| 15 | GBankLas Vegas, NV | 6 | $17.1M | 1.6% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 31 | 8.3% | |
| 2 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 19 | 5.1% | |
| 3 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 15 | 4.0% | |
| 4 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 13 | 3.5% | |
| 5 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 11 | 2.9% | |
| 6 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 11 | 2.9% | |
| 7 | Other Personal ServicesNAICS 8129 | 10 | 2.7% | |
| 8 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 10 | 2.7% | |
| 9 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 9 | 2.4% | |
| 10 | Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical ServicesNAICS 5419 | 8 | 2.1% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 58 | 15.5% | |
| 2 | Retail Trade | 47 | 12.6% | |
| 3 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 35 | 9.4% | |
| 4 | Manufacturing | 34 | 9.1% | |
| 5 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 32 | 8.6% | |
| 6 | Construction | 31 | 8.3% | |
| 7 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 29 | 7.8% | |
| 8 | Wholesale Trade | 23 | 6.2% |
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* | 46 | $21.7M | $300K | 3 | $5.9M | 49 | 665 |
| FY2025 | 94 | $52.5M | $251K | 6 | $13.5M | 100 | 1,886 |
| FY2024 | 85 | $61.9M | $300K | 4 | $5.7M | 89 | 812 |
| FY2023 | 68 | $55.5M | $392K | 4 | $7.0M | 72 | 1,135 |
| FY2022 | 42 | $32.1M | $342K | 8 | $9.9M | 50 | 503 |
| FY2021 | 54 | $54.6M | $625K | 8 | $3.0M | 62 | 1,084 |
| FY2020 | 39 | $38.3M | $640K | 3 | $4.4M | 42 | 972 |
| FY2019 | 43 | $28.6M | $354K | 3 | $2.2M | 46 | 749 |
| FY2018 | 54 | $32.2M | $248K | 3 | $3.5M | 57 | 586 |
| FY2017 | 60 | $36.5M | $284K | 7 | $6.0M | 67 | 827 |
| FY2016 | 54 | $39.8M | $210K | 1 | — | 55 | 797 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 267 approvals.
Against North Carolina and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Guilford County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 373 | 7,353 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 26.1 | 28.5 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $350K | $326K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $704K | $753K | $657K |
| Average approval | $793K | $731K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 8.0% | 6.4% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 14.5 | 12.2 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 5.1% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less16.1%60
- $50,001 to $150,00015.8%59
- $150,001 to $350,00017.4%65
- $350,001 to $1 million26.3%98
- $1 million to $2 million14.5%54
- Over $2 million9.9%37
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old49.3%184
- New business, 2 years or less19.3%72
- Startup, loan funds will open the business19.0%71
- Change of ownership12.1%45
- Not answered0.3%1
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Guilford County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Bank of Oak Ridge (34), Live Oak Banking Company (29), Northeast Bank (27), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (26), Newtek Bank, National Association (20). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Guilford County?
The median 7(a) approval was $350K and the median 504 approval $704K; the North Carolina 7(a) median was $326K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Guilford County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (31); General Freight Trucking (19); Traveler Accommodation (15); Residential Building Construction (13); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (11).
Is SBA lending in Guilford County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 261, against 154 in the three before: rising (+69%).
How does Guilford County compare with the rest of North Carolina?
26.1 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 28.5 statewide, and 373 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