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County6th of 67 in Pennsylvania by approvalsFIPS 42029
SBA loans in Chester County, Pennsylvania
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 565 loans to businesses in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $340M: 524 under 7(a) and 41 under 504.
That is 37.4 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (15,102 establishments in 2023), close to the Pennsylvania figure of 36.7 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 6th of 67 Pennsylvania counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 160, up 38% on FY2024.
82 lenders had approvals here; the most active were TD Bank, National Association (80), Meridian Bank (51) and Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company (45). 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 Chester County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 82 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TD Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 80 | $11.0M | 14.2% | |
| 2 | Meridian BankMalvern, PA | 51 | $56.7M | 9.0% | |
| 3 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust CompanyBuffalo, NY | 45 | $5.1M | 8.0% | |
| 4 | Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSBWilmington, DE | 41 | $28.0M | 7.3% | |
| 5 | South Eastern Economic Development Company of PennsylvaniaExton, PA · CDC | 35 | $30.3M | 6.2% | |
| 6 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 20 | $5.3M | 3.5% | |
| 7 | Fulton Bank, National AssociationLancaster, PA | 18 | $15.9M | 3.2% | |
| 8 | Beacon Bank and TrustBrookline, MA | 15 | $13.6M | 2.7% | |
| 9 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 15 | $4.7M | 2.7% | |
| 10 | KeyBank National AssociationCleveland, OH | 15 | $3.6M | 2.7% | |
| 11 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 14 | $7.1M | 2.5% | |
| 12 | Univest Bank and Trust CoSouderton, PA | 13 | $10.0M | 2.3% | |
| 13 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 13 | $1.9M | 2.3% | |
| 14 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 11 | $2.2M | 1.9% | |
| 15 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 10 | $7.8M | 1.8% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 42 | 7.4% | |
| 2 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 29 | 5.1% | |
| 3 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 27 | 4.8% | |
| 4 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 25 | 4.4% | |
| 5 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 25 | 4.4% | |
| 6 | Computer Systems Design and Related ServicesNAICS 5415 | 21 | 3.7% | |
| 7 | Child Day Care ServicesNAICS 6244 | 20 | 3.5% | |
| 8 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 19 | 3.4% | |
| 9 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting ServicesNAICS 5416 | 18 | 3.2% | |
| 10 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 16 | 2.8% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 80 | 14.2% | |
| 2 | Construction | 75 | 13.3% | |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 71 | 12.6% | |
| 4 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 58 | 10.3% | |
| 5 | Accommodation and Food Services | 51 | 9.0% | |
| 6 | Retail Trade | 47 | 8.3% | |
| 7 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 43 | 7.6% | |
| 8 | Manufacturing | 37 | 6.5% |
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* | 67 | $30.9M | $300K | 8 | $10.1M | 75 | 724 |
| FY2025 | 155 | $80.7M | $150K | 5 | $7.5M | 160 | 1,445 |
| FY2024 | 109 | $48.0M | $181K | 7 | $5.8M | 116 | 1,093 |
| FY2023 | 98 | $47.7M | $150K | 7 | $6.9M | 105 | 1,260 |
| FY2022 | 85 | $59.2M | $300K | 9 | $11.8M | 94 | 1,118 |
| FY2021 | 77 | $64.5M | $490K | 13 | $8.1M | 90 | 1,418 |
| FY2020 | 84 | $48.6M | $263K | 12 | $18.7M | 96 | 1,274 |
| FY2019 | 67 | $27.0M | $150K | 7 | $3.9M | 74 | 757 |
| FY2018 | 147 | $45.8M | $100K | 4 | $1.4M | 151 | 1,277 |
| FY2017 | 119 | $33.3M | $100K | 8 | $8.2M | 127 | 1,125 |
| FY2016 | 136 | $57.8M | $100K | 11 | $7.0M | 147 | 1,484 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 595 approvals.
Against Pennsylvania and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Chester County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 565 | 11,283 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 37.4 | 36.7 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $225K | $150K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $734K | $607K | $657K |
| Average approval | $602K | $482K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 7.3% | 6.5% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 11.2 | 10.3 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 5.0% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less23.0%130
- $50,001 to $150,00020.4%115
- $150,001 to $350,00016.5%93
- $350,001 to $1 million22.1%125
- $1 million to $2 million10.6%60
- Over $2 million7.4%42
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old51.0%288
- New business, 2 years or less23.0%130
- Startup, loan funds will open the business15.6%88
- Change of ownership10.4%59
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Chester County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: TD Bank, National Association (80), Meridian Bank (51), Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company (45), Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB (41), South Eastern Economic Development Company of Pennsylvania (35). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Chester County?
The median 7(a) approval was $225K and the median 504 approval $734K; the Pennsylvania 7(a) median was $150K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Chester County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (42); Services to Buildings and Dwellings (29); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (27); Residential Building Construction (25); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (25).
Is SBA lending in Chester County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 381, against 280 in the three before: rising (+36%).
How does Chester County compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
37.4 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 36.7 statewide, and 565 of the state's 11,283 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