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County10th of 67 in Pennsylvania by approvalsFIPS 42077
SBA loans in Lehigh 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.
Businesses in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, received 313 SBA loan approvals worth $158M in FY2021 to FY2025 (288 7(a), 25 504).
That is 36.1 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (8,681 establishments in 2023), close to the Pennsylvania figure of 36.7 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 10th of 67 Pennsylvania counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 78, about level with FY2024.
59 lenders had approvals here; the most active were TD Bank, National Association (64), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (22) and KeyBank National Association (16). The most common industry was general freight trucking.
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 Lehigh County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 59 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TD Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 64 | $6.6M | 20.4% | |
| 2 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 22 | $2.0M | 7.0% | |
| 3 | KeyBank National AssociationCleveland, OH | 16 | $417K | 5.1% | |
| 4 | Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSBWilmington, DE | 15 | $13.3M | 4.8% | |
| 5 | Beacon Bank and TrustBrookline, MA | 14 | $14.0M | 4.5% | |
| 6 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust CompanyBuffalo, NY | 13 | $1.7M | 4.2% | |
| 7 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 11 | $2.9M | 3.5% | |
| 8 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 10 | $3.4M | 3.2% | |
| 9 | Firstrust Savings BankConshohocken, PA | 9 | $7.7M | 2.9% | |
| 10 | South Eastern Economic Development Company of PennsylvaniaExton, PA · CDC | 9 | $5.2M | 2.9% | |
| 11 | Empire State Certified Development CorporationLatham, NY · CDC | 8 | $8.8M | 2.6% | |
| 12 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 8 | $1.7M | 2.6% | |
| 13 | NEPA Alliance Business Finance CorporationPittston, PA · CDC | 7 | $13.6M | 2.2% | |
| 14 | Meridian BankMalvern, PA | 7 | $6.9M | 2.2% | |
| 15 | Community First Capital CorpLancaster, PA | 7 | $1.2M | 2.2% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 28 | 8.9% | |
| 2 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 23 | 7.3% | |
| 3 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 15 | 4.8% | |
| 4 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 15 | 4.8% | |
| 5 | Child Day Care ServicesNAICS 6244 | 13 | 4.2% | |
| 6 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 10 | 3.2% | |
| 7 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 8 | 2.6% | |
| 8 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 7 | 2.2% | |
| 9 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 7 | 2.2% | |
| 10 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 7 | 2.2% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Trade | 45 | 14.4% | |
| 2 | Transportation and Warehousing | 39 | 12.5% | |
| 3 | Construction | 38 | 12.1% | |
| 4 | Accommodation and Food Services | 33 | 10.5% | |
| 5 | Manufacturing | 30 | 9.6% | |
| 6 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 29 | 9.3% | |
| 7 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 25 | 8.0% | |
| 8 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 21 | 6.7% |
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* | 39 | $18.8M | $275K | 0 | — | 39 | 404 |
| FY2025 | 72 | $33.9M | $175K | 6 | $6.5M | 78 | 564 |
| FY2024 | 69 | $19.5M | $60K | 4 | $4.6M | 73 | 510 |
| FY2023 | 43 | $19.6M | $85K | 4 | $13.0M | 47 | 532 |
| FY2022 | 54 | $25.5M | $100K | 6 | $5.3M | 60 | 314 |
| FY2021 | 50 | $26.6M | $337K | 5 | $3.8M | 55 | 426 |
| FY2020 | 23 | $7.6M | $150K | 2 | — | 25 | 246 |
| FY2019 | 57 | $18.3M | $100K | 3 | $3.4M | 60 | 778 |
| FY2018 | 48 | $13.3M | $100K | 1 | — | 49 | 528 |
| FY2017 | 58 | $20.1M | $150K | 2 | — | 60 | 776 |
| FY2016 | 47 | $14.7M | $150K | 1 | — | 48 | 622 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 242 approvals.
Against Pennsylvania and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Lehigh County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 313 | 11,283 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 36.1 | 36.7 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $150K | $150K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $820K | $607K | $657K |
| Average approval | $505K | $482K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 8.0% | 6.5% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 7.5 | 10.3 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 2.8% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less33.9%106
- $50,001 to $150,00016.6%52
- $150,001 to $350,00014.7%46
- $350,001 to $1 million21.1%66
- $1 million to $2 million8.3%26
- Over $2 million5.4%17
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old47.9%150
- New business, 2 years or less28.4%89
- Startup, loan funds will open the business17.3%54
- Change of ownership6.4%20
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Lehigh County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: TD Bank, National Association (64), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (22), KeyBank National Association (16), Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB (15), Beacon Bank and Trust (14). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Lehigh County?
The median 7(a) approval was $150K and the median 504 approval $820K; the Pennsylvania 7(a) median was $150K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Lehigh County?
General Freight Trucking (28); Restaurants and Other Eating Places (23); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (15); Residential Building Construction (15); Child Day Care Services (13).
Is SBA lending in Lehigh County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 198, against 140 in the three before: rising (+41%).
How does Lehigh County compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
36.1 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 36.7 statewide, and 313 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