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County4th of 71 in Wisconsin by approvalsFIPS 55009
SBA loans in Brown County, Wisconsin
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 Brown County, Wisconsin, received 333 SBA loan approvals worth $189M in FY2021 to FY2025 (276 7(a), 57 504).
That is 49.5 approvals per 1,000 business establishments (6,722 establishments in 2023), close to the Wisconsin figure of 46.3 and above the national 41.0.
It ranks 4th of 71 Wisconsin counties with approvals. In FY2025 there were 64, up 8% on FY2024.
56 lenders had approvals here; the most active were WBD, Inc. (48), Bank First, N.A. (43) and Nicolet National Bank (38). 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 Brown County
By number of approvals to businesses in the county, FY2021–FY2025; 56 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WBD, Inc.Madison, WI · CDC | 48 | $48.5M | 14.4% | |
| 2 | Bank First, N.A.Manitowoc, WI | 43 | $21.3M | 12.9% | |
| 3 | Nicolet National BankGreen Bay, WI | 38 | $19.1M | 11.4% | |
| 4 | Fortifi BankBerlin, WI | 24 | $6.0M | 7.2% | |
| 5 | American National Bank-Fox CitiesAppleton, WI | 15 | $2.9M | 4.5% | |
| 6 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 13 | $5.5M | 3.9% | |
| 7 | Associated Bank National AssociationGreen Bay, WI | 12 | $8.7M | 3.6% | |
| 8 | Bank of LuxemburgLuxemburg, WI | 11 | $6.3M | 3.3% | |
| 9 | Byline BankChicago, IL | 10 | $8.2M | 3.0% | |
| 10 | Racine County Economic Development CorporationSturtevant, WI · CDC | 9 | $6.8M | 2.7% | |
| 11 | The Stephenson National Bank and TrustMarinette, WI | 8 | $4.1M | 2.4% | |
| 12 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 7 | $2.2M | 2.1% | |
| 13 | Fox Communities CUAppleton, WI | 7 | $971K | 2.1% | |
| 14 | Bank Five NineOconomowoc, WI | 6 | $1.9M | 1.8% | |
| 15 | Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative CorporationMilwaukee, WI | 6 | $1.0M | 1.8% |
Industries
| # | Industry group (NAICS 4-digit) | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 39 | 11.7% | |
| 2 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 16 | 4.8% | |
| 3 | Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382 | 12 | 3.6% | |
| 4 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 11 | 3.3% | |
| 5 | Automobile DealersNAICS 4411 | 9 | 2.7% | |
| 6 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 7 | 2.1% | |
| 7 | General Freight TruckingNAICS 4841 | 6 | 1.8% | |
| 8 | Other Schools and InstructionNAICS 6116 | 6 | 1.8% | |
| 9 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 6 | 1.8% | |
| 10 | Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior ContractorsNAICS 2381 | 6 | 1.8% |
Sectors
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation and Food Services | 53 | 15.9% | |
| 2 | Retail Trade | 48 | 14.4% | |
| 3 | Manufacturing | 42 | 12.6% | |
| 4 | Construction | 30 | 9.0% | |
| 5 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 29 | 8.7% | |
| 6 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 24 | 7.2% | |
| 7 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 19 | 5.7% | |
| 8 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 17 | 5.1% |
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* | 34 | $18.5M | $300K | 8 | $7.9M | 42 | 527 |
| FY2025 | 51 | $21.5M | $200K | 13 | $18.2M | 64 | 702 |
| FY2024 | 51 | $19.9M | $270K | 8 | $10.0M | 59 | 645 |
| FY2023 | 63 | $23.6M | $183K | 6 | $6.0M | 69 | 761 |
| FY2022 | 48 | $28.3M | $253K | 14 | $8.4M | 62 | 831 |
| FY2021 | 63 | $40.2M | $340K | 16 | $12.7M | 79 | 805 |
| FY2020 | 39 | $18.3M | $205K | 9 | $11.4M | 48 | 449 |
| FY2019 | 46 | $17.5M | $143K | 7 | $6.1M | 53 | 526 |
| FY2018 | 55 | $17.6M | $125K | 11 | $10.0M | 66 | 568 |
| FY2017 | 73 | $29.5M | $150K | 4 | $5.7M | 77 | 599 |
| FY2016 | 51 | $17.9M | $150K | 8 | $6.4M | 59 | 765 |
In FY2016–FY2020, the five fiscal years before the current window, the county had 303 approvals.
Against Wisconsin and the country
| FY2021–FY2025 | Brown County | Wisconsin | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 333 | 6,706 | 342,825 |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | 49.5 | 46.3 | 41.0 |
| Median 7(a) approval | $250K | $225K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $543K | $616K | $657K |
| Average approval | $567K | $594K | $573K |
| 504 share of approvals | 17.1% | 18.4% | 11.0% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 11.2 | 11.0 | 10.5 |
| Share of state approvals | 5.0% | 100.0% | — |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less14.1%47
- $50,001 to $150,00018.6%62
- $150,001 to $350,00024.3%81
- $350,001 to $1 million27.3%91
- $1 million to $2 million9.9%33
- Over $2 million5.7%19
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old43.8%146
- New business, 2 years or less16.8%56
- Startup, loan funds will open the business21.6%72
- Change of ownership17.7%59
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Brown County?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: WBD, Inc. (48), Bank First, N.A. (43), Nicolet National Bank (38), Fortifi Bank (24), American National Bank-Fox Cities (15). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.
How large are typical SBA loans in Brown County?
The median 7(a) approval was $250K and the median 504 approval $543K; the Wisconsin 7(a) median was $225K.
Which industries get the most SBA loans in Brown County?
Restaurants and Other Eating Places (39); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (16); Building Equipment Contractors (12); Offices of Other Health Practitioners (11); Automobile Dealers (9).
Is SBA lending in Brown County rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 192, against 189 in the three before: broadly level (+2%).
How does Brown County compare with the rest of Wisconsin?
49.5 approvals per 1,000 establishments against 46.3 statewide, and 333 of the state's 6,706 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