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County44th of 99 in North Carolina by approvalsFIPS 37161
SBA loans in Rutherford 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 Rutherford County, North Carolina, received 35 SBA loan approvals worth $25.9M in FY2021 to FY2025 (30 7(a), 5 504).
That is 27.2 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (1,289 establishments in 2023), close to the North Carolina figure of 28.5 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 44th of 99 North Carolina counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 8.
19 lenders had approvals here; the most active were TD Bank, National Association (6), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (5) and Live Oak Banking Company (3). The most common industry was child day care services.
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 Rutherford County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 19 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TD Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 6 | $636K | 17.1% | |
| 2 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 5 | $293K | 14.3% | |
| 3 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 3 | $7.4M | 8.6% | |
| 4 | Business Expansion Funding CorporationCharlotte, NC · CDC | 3 | $2.2M | 8.6% | |
| 5 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.Lake Success, NY | 2 | — | 5.7% | |
| 6 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 2 | — | 5.7% | |
| 7 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 2 | — | 5.7% | |
| 8 | 504 Capital CorporationChesapeake, VA · CDC | 1 | — | 2.9% | |
| 9 | GBankLas Vegas, NV | 1 | — | 2.9% | |
| 10 | Centerstone SBA Lending, Inc.Los Angeles, CA | 1 | — | 2.9% | |
| 11 | HomeTrust BankAsheville, NC | 1 | — | 2.9% | |
| 12 | Ameris BankAtlanta, GA | 1 | — | 2.9% | |
| 13 | Bank of America, National AssociationCharlotte, NC | 1 | — | 2.9% | |
| 14 | CountybankGreenwood, SC | 1 | — | 2.9% | |
| 15 | First Financial BankEl Dorado, AR | 1 | — | 2.9% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Child Day Care ServicesNAICS 6244 | 4 | 11.4% | |
| 2 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 2 | 5.7% | |
| 3 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 2 | 5.7% | |
| 4 | Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical ServicesNAICS 5419 | 2 | 5.7% | |
| 5 | Other Personal ServicesNAICS 8129 | 2 | 5.7% | |
| 6 | Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll ServicesNAICS 5412 | 2 | 5.7% | |
| 7 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 2 | 5.7% | |
| 8 | Poultry and Egg ProductionNAICS 1123 | 1 | 2.9% | |
| 9 | Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)NAICS 6231 | 1 | 2.9% | |
| 10 | Beverage ManufacturingNAICS 3121 | 1 | 2.9% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 5 | 14.3% | |
| 2 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 14.3% | |
| 3 | Accommodation and Food Services | 4 | 11.4% | |
| 4 | Construction | 4 | 11.4% | |
| 5 | Retail Trade | 4 | 11.4% | |
| 6 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 4 | 11.4% | |
| 7 | Transportation and Warehousing | 2 | 5.7% | |
| 8 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2 | 5.7% |
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* | 1 | — | — | 0 | — | 1 | 6 |
| FY2025 | 8 | $2.4M | $266K | 0 | — | 8 | 35 |
| FY2024 | 6 | $1.2M | $73K | 1 | — | 7 | 45 |
| FY2023 | 6 | $3.1M | $88K | 2 | — | 8 | 47 |
| FY2022 | 7 | $9.5M | $515K | 0 | — | 7 | 23 |
| FY2021 | 3 | $4.3M | $1.3M | 2 | — | 5 | 63 |
| FY2020 | 6 | $5.3M | $583K | 0 | — | 6 | 510 |
| FY2019 | 10 | $5.6M | $165K | 0 | — | 10 | 41 |
| FY2018 | 2 | — | — | 0 | — | 2 | 50 |
| FY2017 | 14 | $5.2M | $53K | 0 | — | 14 | 77 |
| FY2016 | 2 | — | — | 0 | — | 2 | 21 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 34 approvals.
Against North Carolina and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Rutherford County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 35 | 7,353 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 27.2 | 28.5 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $301K | $326K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $242K | $753K | $657K |
| Average approval | $740K | $731K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 14.3% | 6.4% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 6.1 | 12.2 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 0.5% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less22.9%8
- $50,001 to $150,00014.3%5
- $150,001 to $350,00022.9%8
- $350,001 to $1 million14.3%5
- $1 million to $2 million14.3%5
- Over $2 million11.4%4
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old60.0%21
- New business, 2 years or less22.9%8
- Startup, loan funds will open the business8.6%3
- Change of ownership8.6%3
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Rutherford County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: TD Bank, National Association (6), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (5), Live Oak Banking Company (3), Business Expansion Funding Corporation (3), Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc. (2). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Rutherford County?
The median 7(a) approval was $301K and the median 504 approval $242K; the North Carolina 7(a) median was $326K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Rutherford County?
Child Day Care Services (4); Traveler Accommodation (2); General Freight Trucking (2); Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (2); Other Personal Services (2).
Is SBA lending in Rutherford County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 23, against 18 in the three before: rising (+28%).
How does Rutherford County compare with the rest of North Carolina?
27.2 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 28.5 statewide, and 35 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