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County1st of 99 in North Carolina by approvalsFIPS 37119
SBA loans in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, received 1,248 SBA loan approvals worth $903M in FY2021 to FY2025 (1,174 7(a), 74 504).
That is 34.2 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (36,472 establishments in 2023), above the North Carolina figure of 28.5 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 1st of 99 North Carolina counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 378, up 37% on FY2024.
115 lenders had approvals here; the most active were The Huntington National Bank (114), Live Oak Banking Company (81) and Wells Fargo Bank National Association (74). 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 Mecklenburg County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 115 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 114 | $45.4M | 9.1% | |
| 2 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 81 | $100M | 6.5% | |
| 3 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 74 | $6.9M | 5.9% | |
| 4 | Pinnacle BankNashville, TN | 70 | $80.9M | 5.6% | |
| 5 | Business Expansion Funding CorporationCharlotte, NC · CDC | 55 | $80.3M | 4.4% | |
| 6 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 50 | $17.4M | 4.0% | |
| 7 | TD Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 47 | $5.8M | 3.8% | |
| 8 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 43 | $6.3M | 3.4% | |
| 9 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 41 | $6.2M | 3.3% | |
| 10 | Bank of America, National AssociationCharlotte, NC | 40 | $18.3M | 3.2% | |
| 11 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 38 | $26.9M | 3.0% | |
| 12 | TowneBankPortsmouth, VA | 36 | $36.4M | 2.9% | |
| 13 | SouthState Bank, National AssociationWinter Haven, FL | 35 | $16.9M | 2.8% | |
| 14 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 31 | $6.1M | 2.5% | |
| 15 | United Midwest Savings Bank National AssociationDe Graff, OH | 28 | $7.1M | 2.2% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 119 | 9.5% | |
| 2 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 60 | 4.8% | |
| 3 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 59 | 4.7% | |
| 4 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 41 | 3.3% | |
| 5 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting ServicesNAICS 5416 | 40 | 3.2% | |
| 6 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 38 | 3.0% | |
| 7 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 35 | 2.8% | |
| 8 | Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical ServicesNAICS 5419 | 30 | 2.4% | |
| 9 | Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll ServicesNAICS 5412 | 30 | 2.4% | |
| 10 | Other Personal ServicesNAICS 8129 | 30 | 2.4% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 183 | 14.7% | |
| 2 | Accommodation and Food Services | 164 | 13.1% | |
| 3 | Construction | 137 | 11.0% | |
| 4 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 130 | 10.4% | |
| 5 | Retail Trade | 124 | 9.9% | |
| 6 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 110 | 8.8% | |
| 7 | Manufacturing | 72 | 5.8% | |
| 8 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 66 | 5.3% |
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* | 190 | $112M | $250K | 14 | $21.4M | 204 | 2,516 |
| FY2025 | 359 | $224M | $300K | 19 | $35.6M | 378 | 4,595 |
| FY2024 | 262 | $150M | $238K | 13 | $15.3M | 275 | 2,798 |
| FY2023 | 234 | $146M | $310K | 10 | $15.1M | 244 | 3,656 |
| FY2022 | 158 | $130M | $350K | 17 | $24.0M | 175 | 2,491 |
| FY2021 | 161 | $144M | $500K | 15 | $18.3M | 176 | 2,488 |
| FY2020 | 169 | $135M | $350K | 10 | $13.8M | 179 | 2,703 |
| FY2019 | 203 | $119M | $306K | 13 | $12.1M | 216 | 3,468 |
| FY2018 | 225 | $127M | $286K | 9 | $7.6M | 234 | 3,140 |
| FY2017 | 242 | $164M | $272K | 20 | $22.8M | 262 | 3,584 |
| FY2016 | 213 | $105M | $250K | 22 | $18.7M | 235 | 2,590 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 1,126 approvals.
Against North Carolina and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 1,248 | 7,353 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 34.2 | 28.5 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $316K | $326K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $1.1M | $753K | $657K |
| Average approval | $724K | $731K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 5.9% | 6.4% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 12.8 | 12.2 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 17.0% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less19.4%242
- $50,001 to $150,00014.6%182
- $150,001 to $350,00019.0%237
- $350,001 to $1 million26.9%336
- $1 million to $2 million10.3%128
- Over $2 million9.9%123
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old44.2%552
- New business, 2 years or less20.5%256
- Startup, loan funds will open the business23.4%292
- Change of ownership11.9%148
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Mecklenburg County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: The Huntington National Bank (114), Live Oak Banking Company (81), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (74), Pinnacle Bank (70), Business Expansion Funding Corporation (55). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Mecklenburg County?
The median 7(a) approval was $316K and the median 504 approval $1.1M; the North Carolina 7(a) median was $326K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Mecklenburg County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (119); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (60); Personal Care Services (59); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (41); Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (40).
Is SBA lending in Mecklenburg County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 897, against 530 in the three before: rising (+69%).
How does Mecklenburg County compare with the rest of North Carolina?
34.2 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 28.5 statewide, and 1,248 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