States › Washington › Cowlitz County
County14th of 39 in Washington by approvalsFIPS 53015
SBA loans in Cowlitz County, Washington
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 Cowlitz County, Washington, received 82 SBA loan approvals worth $57.7M in FY2021 to FY2025 (65 7(a), 17 504).
That is 35.5 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (2,309 establishments in 2023), below the Washington figure of 44.0 and close to the national 41.0.
It ranks 14th of 39 Washington counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 21, down 19% on FY2024.
29 lenders had approvals here; the most active were Columbia Bank (19), Evergreen Business Capital (12) and Washington Trust Bank (6). The most common industry was agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing.
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 Cowlitz County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 29 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia BankLake Oswego, OR | 19 | $1.8M | 23.2% | |
| 2 | Evergreen Business CapitalSeattle, WA · CDC | 12 | $8.5M | 14.6% | |
| 3 | Washington Trust BankSpokane, WA | 6 | $292K | 7.3% | |
| 4 | KeyBank National AssociationCleveland, OH | 5 | $1.2M | 6.1% | |
| 5 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 3 | $8.9M | 3.7% | |
| 6 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 3 | $1.6M | 3.7% | |
| 7 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 3 | $800K | 3.7% | |
| 8 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 3 | $567K | 3.7% | |
| 9 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 2 | — | 2.4% | |
| 10 | Ameritrust CDCEdmonds, WA · CDC | 2 | — | 2.4% | |
| 11 | PCB BankLos Angeles, CA | 2 | — | 2.4% | |
| 12 | First BankSouthern Pines, NC | 2 | — | 2.4% | |
| 13 | Open BankLos Angeles, CA | 2 | — | 2.4% | |
| 14 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 2 | — | 2.4% | |
| 15 | Banner BankWalla Walla, WA | 2 | — | 2.4% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery ManufacturingNAICS 3331 | 8 | 9.8% | |
| 2 | Gasoline StationsNAICS 4571 | 6 | 7.3% | |
| 3 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 5 | 6.1% | |
| 4 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 5 | 6.1% | |
| 5 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 5 | 6.1% | |
| 6 | Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 2389 | 4 | 4.9% | |
| 7 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 3 | 3.7% | |
| 8 | Lessors of Real EstateNAICS 5311 | 3 | 3.7% | |
| 9 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 3 | 3.7% | |
| 10 | Individual and Family ServicesNAICS 6241 | 3 | 3.7% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | 14 | 17.1% | |
| 2 | Construction | 13 | 15.9% | |
| 3 | Retail Trade | 12 | 14.6% | |
| 4 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 9 | 11.0% | |
| 5 | Accommodation and Food Services | 8 | 9.8% | |
| 6 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 8 | 9.8% | |
| 7 | Transportation and Warehousing | 6 | 7.3% | |
| 8 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 3 | 3.7% |
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* | 9 | $3.4M | $225K | 0 | — | 9 | 103 |
| FY2025 | 20 | $9.8M | $75K | 1 | — | 21 | 89 |
| FY2024 | 15 | $3.5M | $50K | 11 | $8.9M | 26 | 235 |
| FY2023 | 7 | $5.7M | $622K | 0 | — | 7 | 53 |
| FY2022 | 12 | $19.5M | $1.1M | 2 | — | 14 | 121 |
| FY2021 | 11 | $5.9M | $195K | 3 | $2.5M | 14 | 189 |
| FY2020 | 13 | $13.5M | $632K | 1 | — | 14 | 223 |
| FY2019 | 16 | $15.2M | $532K | 1 | — | 17 | 144 |
| FY2018 | 7 | $5.5M | $870K | 2 | — | 9 | 98 |
| FY2017 | 13 | $11.8M | $700K | 0 | — | 13 | 98 |
| FY2016 | 9 | $8.5M | $778K | 2 | — | 11 | 74 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 64 approvals.
Against Washington and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Cowlitz County | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 82 | 8,905 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 35.5 | 44.0 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $129K | $200K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $418K | $699K | $657K |
| Average approval | $704K | $627K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 20.7% | 7.8% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 8.4 | 9.2 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 0.9% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less31.7%26
- $50,001 to $150,00012.2%10
- $150,001 to $350,0008.5%7
- $350,001 to $1 million25.6%21
- $1 million to $2 million11.0%9
- Over $2 million11.0%9
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old64.6%53
- New business, 2 years or less18.3%15
- Startup, loan funds will open the business7.3%6
- Change of ownership9.8%8
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Cowlitz County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Columbia Bank (19), Evergreen Business Capital (12), Washington Trust Bank (6), KeyBank National Association (5), Readycap Lending, LLC (3). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Cowlitz County?
The median 7(a) approval was $129K and the median 504 approval $418K; the Washington 7(a) median was $200K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Cowlitz County?
Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (8); Gasoline Stations (6); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (5); Restaurants and Other Eating Places (5); Building Equipment Contractors (5).
Is SBA lending in Cowlitz County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 54, against 42 in the three before: rising (+29%).
How does Cowlitz County compare with the rest of Washington?
35.5 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 44.0 statewide, and 82 of the state's 8,905 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