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County1st of 41 in North Dakota by approvalsFIPS 38017
SBA loans in Cass County, North Dakota
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 Cass County, North Dakota, received 431 SBA loan approvals worth $223M in FY2021 to FY2025 (300 7(a), 131 504).
That is 72.0 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (5,988 establishments in 2023), above the North Dakota figure of 37.8 and above the national 41.0.
It ranks 1st of 41 North Dakota counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 78, up 11% on FY2024.
55 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Dakota Business Lending (60), Bravera Bank (55) and Lake Agassiz Certified Development Company (46). The most common industry was services to buildings and dwellings.
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 Cass County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 55 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dakota Business LendingFargo, ND · CDC | 60 | $55.9M | 13.9% | |
| 2 | Bravera BankDickinson, ND | 55 | $6.5M | 12.8% | |
| 3 | Lake Agassiz Certified Development CompanyFargo, ND · CDC | 46 | $32.8M | 10.7% | |
| 4 | Aspire BankFargo, ND | 27 | $9.2M | 6.3% | |
| 5 | Old National BankEvansville, IN | 24 | $14.1M | 5.6% | |
| 6 | Midwest Business Finance CorporationSt. Cloud, MN · CDC | 21 | $18.6M | 4.9% | |
| 7 | Choice Financial GroupFargo, ND | 18 | $6.0M | 4.2% | |
| 8 | Starion BankBismarck, ND | 18 | $2.5M | 4.2% | |
| 9 | Town and Country CUMinot, ND | 17 | $3.9M | 3.9% | |
| 10 | First Western Bank & TrustMinot, ND | 17 | $3.8M | 3.9% | |
| 11 | Bell BankFargo, ND | 15 | $5.7M | 3.5% | |
| 12 | Alerus Financial, National AssociationGrand Forks, ND | 12 | $5.0M | 2.8% | |
| 13 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 10 | $2.0M | 2.3% | |
| 14 | Capital Credit UnionBismarck, ND | 10 | $1.8M | 2.3% | |
| 15 | Red River State BankHalstad, MN | 7 | $7.5M | 1.6% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 22 | 5.1% | |
| 2 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 21 | 4.9% | |
| 3 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 18 | 4.2% | |
| 4 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 17 | 3.9% | |
| 5 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 16 | 3.7% | |
| 6 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 15 | 3.5% | |
| 7 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 14 | 3.2% | |
| 8 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 13 | 3.0% | |
| 9 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 12 | 2.8% | |
| 10 | Building Finishing ContractorsNAICS 2383 | 9 | 2.1% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction | 71 | 16.5% | |
| 2 | Retail Trade | 62 | 14.4% | |
| 3 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 44 | 10.2% | |
| 4 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 42 | 9.7% | |
| 5 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 39 | 9.0% | |
| 6 | Manufacturing | 33 | 7.7% | |
| 7 | Accommodation and Food Services | 30 | 7.0% | |
| 8 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 27 | 6.3% |
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* | 28 | $12.7M | $200K | 15 | $14.2M | 43 | 595 |
| FY2025 | 58 | $36.2M | $250K | 20 | $22.3M | 78 | 729 |
| FY2024 | 55 | $14.1M | $150K | 15 | $12.8M | 70 | 677 |
| FY2023 | 50 | $17.2M | $218K | 17 | $13.5M | 67 | 776 |
| FY2022 | 67 | $19.6M | $150K | 34 | $26.1M | 101 | 961 |
| FY2021 | 70 | $24.7M | $188K | 45 | $36.3M | 115 | 1,053 |
| FY2020 | 64 | $12.6M | $136K | 25 | $15.9M | 89 | 865 |
| FY2019 | 52 | $9.8M | $128K | 16 | $13.8M | 68 | 702 |
| FY2018 | 69 | $13.9M | $90K | 21 | $15.1M | 90 | 728 |
| FY2017 | 71 | $10.8M | $77K | 12 | $8.6M | 83 | 607 |
| FY2016 | 69 | $14.2M | $88K | 23 | $12.7M | 92 | 1,152 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 422 approvals.
Against North Dakota and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Cass County | North Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 431 | 960 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 72.0 | 37.8 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $191K | $195K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $534K | $478K | $657K |
| Average approval | $517K | $568K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 30.4% | 33.9% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 9.7 | 9.7 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 44.9% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less16.0%69
- $50,001 to $150,00019.5%84
- $150,001 to $350,00024.1%104
- $350,001 to $1 million28.8%124
- $1 million to $2 million7.2%31
- Over $2 million4.4%19
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old56.8%245
- New business, 2 years or less18.6%80
- Startup, loan funds will open the business16.5%71
- Change of ownership8.1%35
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Cass County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Dakota Business Lending (60), Bravera Bank (55), Lake Agassiz Certified Development Company (46), Aspire Bank (27), Old National Bank (24). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Cass County?
The median 7(a) approval was $191K and the median 504 approval $534K; the North Dakota 7(a) median was $195K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Cass County?
Services to Buildings and Dwellings (22); Restaurants and Other Eating Places (21); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (18); Personal Care Services (17); Other Specialty Trade Contractors (16).
Is SBA lending in Cass County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 215, against 305 in the three before: falling (-30%).
How does Cass County compare with the rest of North Dakota?
72.0 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 37.8 statewide, and 431 of the state's 960 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