Industries › Transportation and Warehousing › Postal Service
NAICS 491Subsector0.0% of all approvals
SBA loans for postal service
7(a) and 504 approvals to businesses SBA classifies under NAICS 491, with the lenders and states behind them.
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 classified under NAICS 491, postal service, received 74 SBA loan approvals worth $20.9M in FY2021 to FY2025 (73 7(a), 1 504).
That is 0.0% of all approvals.
In FY2025 there were 19 approvals, about level with FY2024. The median 7(a) approval was $200K, against $190K for all industries, and 45.9% of approvals went to franchise businesses.
Of 7(a) loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, SBA records 6.1% as charged off, close to the 6.6% for all industries.
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.
Volume 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* | 6 | $1.3M | $125K | 0 | — | 6 | 23 |
| FY2025 | 19 | $7.5M | $225K | 0 | — | 19 | 116 |
| FY2024 | 18 | $5.1M | $200K | 0 | — | 18 | 106 |
| FY2023 | 20 | $3.7M | $158K | 0 | — | 20 | 151 |
| FY2022 | 8 | $2.7M | $227K | 0 | — | 8 | 86 |
| FY2021 | 8 | $1.5M | $161K | 1 | — | 9 | 38 |
| FY2020 | 7 | $2.0M | $100K | 0 | — | 7 | 53 |
| FY2019 | 7 | $2.8M | $269K | 0 | — | 7 | 49 |
| FY2018 | 6 | $1.3M | $242K | 0 | — | 6 | 19 |
| FY2017 | 8 | $1.7M | $150K | 0 | — | 8 | 68 |
| FY2016 | 17 | $3.1M | $131K | 0 | — | 17 | 92 |
SBA records the NAICS code in force when a loan was approved. The 2022 NAICS revision renumbered parts of retail trade and information, so some lines of business appear under one code before FY2023 and another after. FY2016–FY2020 approvals under this code: 45.
Within this subsector
| NAICS | Industry group | Approvals, FY2021–FY2025 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4911 | Postal Service | 74 | 100.0% |
Lenders most active in this industry
By number of approvals, FY2021–FY2025; 33 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 15 | $3.0M | 20.3% | |
| 2 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 12 | $8.3M | 16.2% | |
| 3 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 5 | $118K | 6.8% | |
| 4 | Citizens BankElizabethton, TN | 4 | $1.2M | 5.4% | |
| 5 | Western Alliance BankPhoenix, AZ | 3 | $964K | 4.1% | |
| 6 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 3 | $236K | 4.1% | |
| 7 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust CompanyBuffalo, NY | 3 | $186K | 4.1% | |
| 8 | Commonwealth Business BankLos Angeles, CA | 2 | — | 2.7% | |
| 9 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 2 | — | 2.7% | |
| 10 | TD Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 2 | — | 2.7% | |
| 11 | Granite BankCold Spring, MN | 1 | — | 1.4% | |
| 12 | Citizens Bank of West Virginia, IncElkins, WV | 1 | — | 1.4% | |
| 13 | Zions Bank, A Division ofSalt Lake City, UT | 1 | — | 1.4% | |
| 14 | Capital One National AssociationMcLean, VA | 1 | — | 1.4% | |
| 15 | Mountain West Small Business FinanceSalt Lake City, UT · CDC | 1 | — | 1.4% | |
| 16 | Harborstone CULakewood, WA | 1 | — | 1.4% | |
| 17 | Centerstone SBA Lending, Inc.Los Angeles, CA | 1 | — | 1.4% | |
| 18 | Northrim BankAnchorage, AK | 1 | — | 1.4% | |
| 19 | Mechanics and Farmers BankDurham, NC | 1 | — | 1.4% | |
| 20 | Magnifi Financial CUMelrose, MN | 1 | — | 1.4% |
States
| # | State of the business | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 16 | $5.3M | 21.6% | |
| 2 | North Carolina | 6 | $2.5M | 8.1% | |
| 3 | Georgia | 5 | $722K | 6.8% | |
| 4 | Florida | 4 | $2.2M | 5.4% | |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 4 | $1.2M | 5.4% | |
| 6 | Nevada | 4 | $709K | 5.4% | |
| 7 | Maryland | 4 | $475K | 5.4% | |
| 8 | Tennessee | 3 | $270K | 4.1% | |
| 9 | Louisiana | 2 | — | 2.7% | |
| 10 | Washington | 2 | — | 2.7% | |
| 11 | Virginia | 2 | — | 2.7% | |
| 12 | Texas | 2 | — | 2.7% | |
| 13 | Ohio | 2 | — | 2.7% | |
| 14 | Missouri | 2 | — | 2.7% | |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 2 | — | 2.7% |
Franchise brands
45.9% of approvals carried a franchise code.
| # | Brand | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The UPS Store | 21 | 28.4% | |
| 2 | PostalAnnex+ | 9 | 12.2% | |
| 3 | Postal Connections | 2 | 2.7% | |
| 4 | PostNet | 1 | 1.4% | |
| 5 | Goin' Postal | 1 | 1.4% |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less20.3%15
- $50,001 to $150,00020.3%15
- $150,001 to $350,00033.8%25
- $350,001 to $1 million20.3%15
- $1 million to $2 million5.4%4
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old21.6%16
- New business, 2 years or less23.0%17
- Startup, loan funds will open the business29.7%22
- Change of ownership25.7%19
Charge-offs against all industries
| Loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | This industry, 7(a) | All 7(a) | This industry, 504 | All 504 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals in these years | 94 | 639,905 | 1 | 85,591 |
| Cancelled or never disbursed | 12 | 79,313 | 0 | 12,514 |
| Disbursed loans | 82 | 560,592 | 1 | 73,077 |
| Paid in full | 60 | 435,813 | 0 | 35,491 |
| Charged off | 5 | 36,891 | 0 | 905 |
| Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure) | 17 | 87,888 | 1 | 36,681 |
| Charged off, share of disbursed loans | 6.1% | 6.6% | too few loans | 1.2% |
| Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars | 3.9% | 2.5% | too few loans | 0.9% |
| Dollars charged off | $713K | $5.70bn | — | $499M |
Against all industries
| FY2021–FY2025 | NAICS 491 | All industries |
|---|---|---|
| Median 7(a) approval | $200K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | — | $657K |
| Average approval | $283K | $573K |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | — | 41.0 |
| Approvals to franchise businesses | 45.9% | 11.2% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 6.7 | 10.5 |
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans for postal service?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: The Huntington National Bank (15), Live Oak Banking Company (12), U.S. Bank, National Association (5), Citizens Bank (4), Western Alliance Bank (3). 33 lenders had at least one.
How large are typical SBA loans for postal service?
The median 7(a) approval was $200K; the average across both programs was $283K.
What share of SBA loans for postal service are charged off?
Of 7(a) loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, 6.1% are recorded as charged off, against 6.6% for all industries.
Which states have the most SBA loans for postal service?
California (16), North Carolina (6), Georgia (5), Florida (4), Wisconsin (4).
Is SBA lending for postal service rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 57, against 24 in the three before: rising (+138%).
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