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County3rd of 88 in Ohio by approvalsFIPS 39061
SBA loans in Hamilton County, Ohio
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 1,324 loans to businesses in Hamilton County, Ohio, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $558M: 1,262 under 7(a) and 62 under 504.
That is 62.8 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (21,087 establishments in 2023), close to the Ohio figure of 72.3 and above the national 41.0.
It ranks 3rd of 88 Ohio counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 241, about level with FY2024.
84 lenders had approvals here; the most active were The Huntington National Bank (652), U.S. Bank, National Association (104) and First Commonwealth Bank (69). 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 Hamilton County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 84 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 652 | $162M | 49.2% | |
| 2 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 104 | $14.2M | 7.9% | |
| 3 | First Commonwealth BankIndiana, PA | 69 | $39.3M | 5.2% | |
| 4 | KeyBank National AssociationCleveland, OH | 51 | $36.2M | 3.9% | |
| 5 | Alloy Development Co., Inc.Cincinnati, OH · CDC | 46 | $39.1M | 3.5% | |
| 6 | PNC Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 34 | $12.4M | 2.6% | |
| 7 | First Financial BankCincinnati, OH | 26 | $11.8M | 2.0% | |
| 8 | Fifth Third BankCincinnati, OH | 25 | $11.6M | 1.9% | |
| 9 | RiverHills BankMilford, OH | 24 | $15.6M | 1.8% | |
| 10 | Stock Yards Bank & Trust CompanyLouisville, KY | 22 | $17.4M | 1.7% | |
| 11 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 17 | $3.1M | 1.3% | |
| 12 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 16 | $20.4M | 1.2% | |
| 13 | Telhio Credit Union IncColumbus, OH | 15 | $4.1M | 1.1% | |
| 14 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 15 | $2.6M | 1.1% | |
| 15 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 12 | $1.7M | 0.9% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 119 | 9.0% | |
| 2 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 104 | 7.9% | |
| 3 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 46 | 3.5% | |
| 4 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 44 | 3.3% | |
| 5 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 38 | 2.9% | |
| 6 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 35 | 2.6% | |
| 7 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 34 | 2.6% | |
| 8 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 33 | 2.5% | |
| 9 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting ServicesNAICS 5416 | 31 | 2.3% | |
| 10 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 30 | 2.3% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 183 | 13.8% | |
| 2 | Construction | 152 | 11.5% | |
| 3 | Retail Trade | 150 | 11.3% | |
| 4 | Transportation and Warehousing | 132 | 10.0% | |
| 5 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 125 | 9.4% | |
| 6 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 123 | 9.3% | |
| 7 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 117 | 8.8% | |
| 8 | Manufacturing | 101 | 7.6% |
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* | 130 | $62.8M | $150K | 3 | $2.4M | 133 | 1,593 |
| FY2025 | 229 | $107M | $150K | 12 | $14.1M | 241 | 2,226 |
| FY2024 | 243 | $86.5M | $150K | 10 | $6.9M | 253 | 2,833 |
| FY2023 | 273 | $82.7M | $100K | 7 | $5.3M | 280 | 2,912 |
| FY2022 | 248 | $99.2M | $118K | 18 | $16.8M | 266 | 2,805 |
| FY2021 | 269 | $130M | $163K | 15 | $9.7M | 284 | 3,762 |
| FY2020 | 180 | $78.7M | $150K | 16 | $9.9M | 196 | 2,747 |
| FY2019 | 236 | $105M | $164K | 12 | $3.7M | 248 | 3,001 |
| FY2018 | 227 | $92.0M | $107K | 20 | $16.4M | 247 | 2,819 |
| FY2017 | 245 | $109M | $148K | 10 | $4.4M | 255 | 4,211 |
| FY2016 | 262 | $108M | $102K | 13 | $12.6M | 275 | 3,434 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 1,221 approvals.
Against Ohio and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Hamilton County | Ohio | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 1,324 | 18,439 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 62.8 | 72.3 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $150K | $99K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $511K | $496K | $657K |
| Average approval | $422K | $336K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 4.7% | 4.3% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 11.0 | 8.1 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 7.2% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less31.3%414
- $50,001 to $150,00021.8%288
- $150,001 to $350,00017.4%231
- $350,001 to $1 million18.7%248
- $1 million to $2 million6.6%87
- Over $2 million4.2%56
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old60.2%797
- New business, 2 years or less12.8%169
- Startup, loan funds will open the business18.7%248
- Change of ownership8.2%109
- Not answered0.1%1
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Hamilton County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: The Huntington National Bank (652), U.S. Bank, National Association (104), First Commonwealth Bank (69), KeyBank National Association (51), Alloy Development Co., Inc. (46). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Hamilton County?
The median 7(a) approval was $150K and the median 504 approval $511K; the Ohio 7(a) median was $99K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Hamilton County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (119); General Freight Trucking (104); Personal Care Services (46); Services to Buildings and Dwellings (44); Building Equipment Contractors (38).
Is SBA lending in Hamilton County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 774, against 746 in the three before: broadly level (+4%).
How does Hamilton County compare with the rest of Ohio?
62.8 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 72.3 statewide, and 1,324 of the state's 18,439 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