States › South Carolina › Charleston County
County2nd of 46 in South Carolina by approvalsFIPS 45019
SBA loans in Charleston County, South 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.
SBA approved 499 loans to businesses in Charleston County, South Carolina, in FY2021 to FY2025, worth $322M: 459 under 7(a) and 40 under 504.
That is 31.6 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (15,801 establishments in 2023), close to the South Carolina figure of 30.7 and below the national 41.0.
It ranks 2nd of 46 South Carolina counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 129, up 17% on FY2024.
80 lenders had approvals here; the most active were TD Bank, National Association (59), The Huntington National Bank (46) and Pinnacle Bank (27). 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 Charleston County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 80 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TD Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 59 | $19.1M | 11.8% | |
| 2 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 46 | $18.3M | 9.2% | |
| 3 | Pinnacle BankNashville, TN | 27 | $29.4M | 5.4% | |
| 4 | Provident Business Financial Services, Inc.West Columbia, SC · CDC | 25 | $23.0M | 5.0% | |
| 5 | SouthState Bank, National AssociationWinter Haven, FL | 24 | $20.9M | 4.8% | |
| 6 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 23 | $7.6M | 4.6% | |
| 7 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 19 | $2.5M | 3.8% | |
| 8 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 18 | $3.5M | 3.6% | |
| 9 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 16 | $12.2M | 3.2% | |
| 10 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 15 | $5.5M | 3.0% | |
| 11 | United Midwest Savings Bank National AssociationDe Graff, OH | 13 | $3.3M | 2.6% | |
| 12 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 12 | $3.8M | 2.4% | |
| 13 | United Community BankGreenville, SC | 11 | $12.2M | 2.2% | |
| 14 | Harvest Small Business Finance, LLCLaguna Hills, CA | 11 | $9.2M | 2.2% | |
| 15 | Bank of America, National AssociationCharlotte, NC | 11 | $7.3M | 2.2% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 57 | 11.4% | |
| 2 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 22 | 4.4% | |
| 3 | Offices of DentistsNAICS 6212 | 20 | 4.0% | |
| 4 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 19 | 3.8% | |
| 5 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 18 | 3.6% | |
| 6 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 17 | 3.4% | |
| 7 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 16 | 3.2% | |
| 8 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 15 | 3.0% | |
| 9 | Other Personal ServicesNAICS 8129 | 14 | 2.8% | |
| 10 | Building Finishing ContractorsNAICS 2383 | 14 | 2.8% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 75 | 15.0% | |
| 2 | Accommodation and Food Services | 71 | 14.2% | |
| 3 | Construction | 66 | 13.2% | |
| 4 | Retail Trade | 54 | 10.8% | |
| 5 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 54 | 10.8% | |
| 6 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 43 | 8.6% | |
| 7 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 30 | 6.0% | |
| 8 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 20 | 4.0% |
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* | 62 | $38.8M | $180K | 3 | $3.1M | 65 | 827 |
| FY2025 | 127 | $63.1M | $300K | 2 | — | 129 | 1,142 |
| FY2024 | 108 | $69.8M | $302K | 2 | — | 110 | 1,163 |
| FY2023 | 80 | $31.9M | $150K | 6 | $5.1M | 86 | 546 |
| FY2022 | 72 | $43.7M | $311K | 12 | $15.0M | 84 | 1,190 |
| FY2021 | 72 | $71.9M | $599K | 18 | $12.6M | 90 | 1,300 |
| FY2020 | 47 | $35.4M | $281K | 2 | — | 49 | 626 |
| FY2019 | 78 | $47.7M | $253K | 9 | $8.6M | 87 | 1,111 |
| FY2018 | 76 | $44.7M | $204K | 6 | $6.3M | 82 | 990 |
| FY2017 | 80 | $44.0M | $150K | 4 | $5.3M | 84 | 898 |
| FY2016 | 60 | $27.0M | $245K | 6 | $2.2M | 66 | 564 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 368 approvals.
Against South Carolina and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Charleston County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 499 | 3,775 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 31.6 | 30.7 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $304K | $260K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $776K | $892K | $657K |
| Average approval | $645K | $666K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 8.0% | 6.5% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 10.7 | 11.3 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 13.2% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less16.0%80
- $50,001 to $150,00019.4%97
- $150,001 to $350,00019.2%96
- $350,001 to $1 million27.3%136
- $1 million to $2 million10.8%54
- Over $2 million7.2%36
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old52.7%263
- New business, 2 years or less16.4%82
- Startup, loan funds will open the business20.6%103
- Change of ownership10.0%50
- Not answered0.2%1
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Charleston County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: TD Bank, National Association (59), The Huntington National Bank (46), Pinnacle Bank (27), Provident Business Financial Services, Inc. (25), SouthState Bank, National Association (24). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Charleston County?
The median 7(a) approval was $304K and the median 504 approval $776K; the South Carolina 7(a) median was $260K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Charleston County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (57); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (22); Offices of Dentists (20); Personal Care Services (19); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (18).
Is SBA lending in Charleston County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 325, against 223 in the three before: rising (+46%).
How does Charleston County compare with the rest of South Carolina?
31.6 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 30.7 statewide, and 499 of the state's 3,775 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