SBA Ledger

States › Tennessee

State1.1% of US approvals247 lenders active

SBA loans in Tennessee

7(a) and 504 approvals by fiscal year, the lenders behind them, and where in the state they went. Pick a fiscal year for that year's lenders and counties.

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 Tennessee received 3,767 SBA loan approvals worth $2.41bn in FY2021 to FY2025, 3,635 of them 7(a) loans and 132 504 loans.

That is 25.1 approvals for every 1,000 business establishments in the state, against 41.0 nationally, and 1.1% of all approvals in the country (27th of 54 states and territories).

In FY2025 there were 1,046 approvals totalling $593M, up 24% on FY2024. The median 7(a) approval over the five years was $250K and the median 504 approval $1.1M.

247 lenders had at least one approval in the state; by number of 7(a) approvals the most active were U.S. Bank, National Association (432), The Huntington National Bank (413) and Newtek Bank, National Association (203).

Of 7(a) loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, SBA records 7.1% as charged off, against 6.6% nationally.

1,046approvals, FY20253,767 in FY2021–FY2025
$593Mapproved, FY2025$2.41bn in FY2021–FY2025
25.1approvals per 1,000 establishments, FY2021–FY2025US: 41.0
$250Kmedian 7(a) approvalUS: $190K
7.1%7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2021 charged offUS: 6.6%

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.

Most active 7(a) lenders in Tennessee

Ranked by number of approvals to businesses in the state, FY2021–FY2025. The column of bars shows each lender's approvals here in every fiscal year; the charged-off column is the lender's nationwide figure.

#LenderApprovals in TN, FY2021–25DollarsShareMedian approval, all statesFY2016–26Charged off, FY2010–21 loans
1U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH432$80.0M11.9%$45K6.2%
2The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH413$159M11.4%$92K5.7%
3Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL203$84.7M5.6%$225K—
4Pinnacle BankNashville, TN193$206M5.3%$745K6.0%
5Northeast BankLewiston, ME184$24.4M5.1%$106K12.8%
6BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL164$30.6M4.5%$150K19.2%
7Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ144$35.5M4.0%$138K4.3%
8Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC121$181M3.3%$850K2.2%
9United Midwest Savings Bank National AssociationDe Graff, OH117$30.4M3.2%$150K15.9%
10Regions BankBirmingham, AL78$67.4M2.1%$527K4.7%
11Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD72$13.9M2.0%$15K7.9%
12Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT67$47.7M1.8%$150K17.0%
13Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.Lake Success, NY67$34.6M1.8%$300K6.8%
14Old National BankEvansville, IN56$52.1M1.5%$500K4.7%
15Bank of America, National AssociationCharlotte, NC53$28.1M1.5%$300K2.6%
16First Bank of the LakeOsage Beach, MO45$29.4M1.2%$350K2.7%
17Citizens BankElizabethton, TN42$28.4M1.2%$495K5.4%
18First Horizon BankMemphis, TN36$36.5M1.0%$837K2.8%
19Byline BankChicago, IL35$31.2M1.0%$806K9.5%
20Lendistry SBLC, LLCLos Angeles, CA34$5.1M0.9%$150K22.7%
21Brightbridge, Inc.Chattanooga, TN33$7.6M0.9%$232K11.6%
22Renasant BankTupelo, MS29$38.1M0.8%$644K8.3%
23United Community BankGreenville, SC29$30.4M0.8%$550K4.5%
24SouthState Bank, National AssociationWinter Haven, FL28$12.8M0.8%$350K2.8%
25First Farmers and Merchants BankColumbia, TN28$7.3M0.8%$163K5.1%
26JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationColumbus, OH27$6.0M0.7%$200K7.4%
27First Financial BankEl Dorado, AR26$43.7M0.7%$925K4.3%
28The First Bank and Trust CompanyLebanon, VA23$4.2M0.6%$260K1.1%
29Republic Bank & Trust CompanyLouisville, KY22$14.0M0.6%$250K1.9%
30Fifth Third BankCincinnati, OH21$12.0M0.6%$200K5.5%
31Beacon Bank and TrustBrookline, MA18$35.0M0.5%$630K4.6%
32TowneBankPortsmouth, VA17$16.5M0.5%$638K3.3%
33First-Citizens Bank & Trust CompanyRaleigh, NC16$17.9M0.4%$697K5.4%
34North State BankRaleigh, NC16$9.2M0.4%$500K2.8%
35BankFirst Financial ServicesColumbus, MS16$3.6M0.4%$185K6.8%
36Metro City BankDoraville, GA15$16.5M0.4%$1.3M2.1%
37Wilson Bank & TrustLebanon, TN15$11.8M0.4%$605K—
38Simmons BankPine Bluff, AR15$9.3M0.4%$348K10.6%
39Paragon BankMemphis, TN14$20.0M0.4%$865K5.8%
40The Bancorp Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD14$12.8M0.4%$589K6.7%

504 certified development companies

#LenderApprovals in TN, FY2021–25DollarsShareMedian approval, all statesFY2016–26Charged off, FY2010–21 loans
1Brightbridge, Inc.Chattanooga, TN · 504 CDC87$132M65.9%$856K0.4%
2South Central Tennessee Business Development CorporationMt. Pleasant, TN · 504 CDC25$35.8M18.9%$959K5.3%
3Mid-Cumberland Area Development CorporationNashville, TN · 504 CDC7$8.0M5.3%$540K0.0%
4Georgia Certified Development CorporationAtlanta, GA · 504 CDC2—1.5%$1.0M0.0%
5Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc.Tallahassee, FL · 504 CDC2—1.5%$684K1.1%
6Florida Business Development CorporationTampa, FL · 504 CDC2—1.5%$597K1.2%
7Capital Access Corporation - KentuckyLouisville, KY · 504 CDC1—0.8%$516K2.1%
8Mortgage Capital Development CorporationOakland, CA · 504 CDC1—0.8%$913K0.3%
9Empire State Certified Development CorporationLatham, NY · 504 CDC1—0.8%$716K2.2%
10Capital Partners Certified Development CompanyAtlanta, GA · 504 CDC1—0.8%$1.0M1.6%
11Purchase Area Development DistrictMayfield, KY · 504 CDC1—0.8%$217K—
12Provident Business Financial Services, Inc.West Columbia, SC · 504 CDC1—0.8%$841K0.0%

Fiscal-year ledger

Fiscal year7(a) approvals7(a) dollarsMedian 7(a)504 approvals504 dollarsAll approvalsJobs supported, as reported
FY2026*596$352M$250K18$23.5M6146,786
FY20251,020$547M$206K26$46.6M1,04610,836
FY2024820$421M$157K23$41.8M8438,978
FY2023659$372M$240K19$26.8M6788,241
FY2022555$354M$269K21$31.8M5766,408
FY2021581$515M$470K43$54.5M6249,039
FY2020419$283M$275K23$31.8M4426,261
FY2019466$286M$250K21$22.2M4877,015
FY2018545$291M$198K23$22.3M5686,382
FY2017498$276M$214K17$8.4M5156,270
FY2016532$301M$250K25$29.5M5576,741

7(a) approvals504 approvals

919293949596979899000102030405060708091011121314151617181920212223242526
SBA approvals in Tennessee by fiscal year, FY1991 to FY2026.

Counties

Approvals in FY2021–FY2025 set against the Census Bureau's count of business establishments. Counties with at least 30 approvals have their own page.

#CountyApprovalsDollarsEstablishmentsPer 1,000 establishmentsBy fiscal year
1Davidson County708$406M22,12232.0
2Shelby County468$303M19,35924.2
3Knox County360$218M12,51928.8
4Williamson County352$227M8,70740.4
5Hamilton County247$174M9,88325.0
6Rutherford County215$123M6,28534.2
7Montgomery County138$64.5M3,42840.3
8Sumner County131$73.8M3,87533.8
9Wilson County92$64.4M3,34527.5
10Maury County84$49.8M2,06940.6
11Sevier County66$63.2M3,11721.2
12Blount County64$40.5M2,51025.5
13Washington County56$39.8M3,07618.2
14Sullivan County53$40.6M3,38215.7
15Putnam County44$38.8M1,98822.1
16Robertson County37$23.3M1,35827.2
17Madison County35$45.7M2,59813.5
18Coffee County34$27.4M1,30826.0
19Dickson County31$12.4M1,10028.2
20Jefferson County29$12.5M77137.6
21Loudon County29$22.1M1,02728.2
22Anderson County25$17.7M1,59915.6
23Bradley County25$25.1M2,07412.1
24Cumberland County25$7.6M1,15321.7
25Greene County20$12.7M1,25715.9
26Bedford County17$9.4M88919.1
27Hamblen County15$8.3M1,33911.2
28Marshall County15$7.3M58525.6
29Franklin County15$7.2M74720.1
30Hawkins County14$12.2M63821.9
31Roane County14$7.1M76918.2
32Cheatham County14$2.4M71419.6
33Gibson County13$19.4M95113.7
34McMinn County13$16.7M93513.9
35Weakley County13$16.6M58922.1
36Marion County13$8.2M48227.0
37Lincoln County12$10.8M62819.1
38Lawrence County12$5.3M78815.2
39Monroe County12$11.7M77315.5
40Fayette County11$7.5M69015.9
41Carroll County11$8.7M44524.7
42Tipton County10$7.9M77712.9
43Carter County10$6.2M75113.3
44White County10$4.5M42523.5
45Rhea County9$3.7M54116.6
46Humphreys County8$2.5M33224.1
47Polk County7$4.5M23829.4
48Giles County7$5.1M54312.9
49Dyer County7$5.0M7858.9
50Warren County6$5.6M7817.7
51Cocke County6$3.2M47412.7
52Lewis County5$3.4M23721.1
53Claiborne County5$6.0M46610.7
54Obion County5$2.4M6307.9
55Henderson County4$1.4M5087.9
56Henry County4$3.3M7145.6
57Campbell County4$4.2M5796.9
58Houston County4$548K10637.7
59Hardeman County4$2.4M31412.7
60Stewart County4$1.2M18022.2
61Wayne County4$3.5M21618.5
62Lauderdale County4$1.5M29613.5
63Fentress County4$2.8M28614.0
64Cannon County4$959K24116.6
65Sequatchie County3$1.4M21913.7
66Crockett County3$1.4M23412.8
67Haywood County3$1.1M29210.3
68Hardin County3$3.9M5355.6
69Morgan County3$2.0M16318.4
70Trousdale County3$398K13821.7
71Hickman County3$1.1M3169.5
72Scott County3$1.2M3518.5
73DeKalb County3$5.0M3398.8
74McNairy County2—4364.6
75Smith County2—3076.5
76Overton County2—3545.6
77Grainger County2—2587.8
78Unicoi County2—2438.2
79Decatur County2—2288.8
80Meigs County2—10918.3
81Benton County1—2933.4
82Pickett County1—8212.2
83Chester County1—2543.9
84Macon County1—3333.0
85Union County1—2284.4
86Van Buren County1—4422.7
87Moore County1—8012.5
88Lake County1—6415.6
89Bledsoe County1—1297.8

Industries

#Industry group (NAICS 4-digit)ApprovalsDollarsShare
1Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225410$234M10.9%
2Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617165$47.7M4.4%
3Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139160$88.9M4.2%
4Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121156$60.2M4.1%
5Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111125$84.8M3.3%
6Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213102$47.8M2.7%
7Building Equipment ContractorsNAICS 2382102$36.1M2.7%
8Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211101$257M2.7%
9Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 236196$14.8M2.5%
10Building Finishing ContractorsNAICS 238379$30.8M2.1%
11Other Personal ServicesNAICS 812978$31.6M2.1%
12Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting ServicesNAICS 541676$22.2M2.0%
13Other Specialty Trade ContractorsNAICS 238972$31.7M1.9%
14Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior ContractorsNAICS 238165$30.8M1.7%
15General Freight TruckingNAICS 484163$32.1M1.7%

Sectors

#NAICS sectorApprovalsShare
1Accommodation and Food Services56815.1%
2Retail Trade45011.9%
3Construction43211.5%
4Other Services (except Public Administration)40910.9%
5Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services3138.3%
6Health Care and Social Assistance2947.8%
7Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services2807.4%
8Manufacturing2005.3%
9Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation1985.3%
10Transportation and Warehousing1353.6%

Franchise brands

#BrandApprovalsShare
1Scooter's Coffee190.5%
2The UPS Store110.3%
3The Spectrum Kid's Gyms100.3%
4Quality Inn90.2%
5Hotworx90.2%
6Anytime Fitness80.2%
7Just Love Coffee Cafe80.2%
8Nothing Bundt Cakes70.2%
9Firehouse Subs70.2%
10The Back Nine70.2%

How earlier loans turned out

Tennessee, 7(a)7.1%
United States, 7(a)6.6%
Tennessee, 5041.8%
United States, 5041.2%
Share of disbursed loans approved FY2010–FY2021 that SBA records as charged off, by program.
Loans approved FY2010–FY2021TN 7(a)US 7(a)TN 504US 504
Approvals in these years5,861639,90542385,591
Cancelled or never disbursed67879,3138512,514
Disbursed loans5,183560,59233873,077
Paid in full3,950435,81320935,491
Charged off37036,8916905
Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure)86387,88812336,681
Charged off, share of disbursed loans7.1%6.6%1.8%1.2%
Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars2.4%2.5%0.7%0.9%
Dollars charged off$70.5M$5.70bn$2.1M$499M

Approval sizes

Age of the businesses

Against the country

FY2021–FY2025TennesseeUnited States
Approvals per 1,000 establishments25.141.0
Median 7(a) approval$250K$190K
Median 504 approval$1.1M$657K
504 share of approvals3.5%11.0%
Jobs supported per approval, as reported11.510.5
Approvals, change on FY2016–FY202047%10%

Questions and answers

Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Tennessee?

By 7(a) approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: U.S. Bank, National Association (432), The Huntington National Bank (413), Newtek Bank, National Association (203), Pinnacle Bank (193), Northeast Bank (184). For 504 loans: Brightbridge, Inc. (87), South Central Tennessee Business Development Corporation (25), Mid-Cumberland Area Development Corporation (7). Volume says how active a lender is, nothing about terms or service.

How large are typical SBA loans in Tennessee?

The median 7(a) approval was $250K and the median 504 approval $1.1M; the average across both programs was $640K.

Which industries get the most SBA loans in Tennessee?

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (410); Services to Buildings and Dwellings (165); Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (160); Personal Care Services (156); Automotive Repair and Maintenance (125).

Which Tennessee counties receive the most SBA loans?

Davidson County (708), Shelby County (468), Knox County (360), Williamson County (352), Hamilton County (247), by approvals in FY2021 to FY2025.

Is SBA lending in Tennessee rising?

Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 2,567, against 1,642 in the three before: rising (+56%).

What share of SBA loans in Tennessee are charged off?

Of 7(a) loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, 7.1% are recorded as charged off (national: 6.6%); for 504 loans the figure is 1.8% (national: 1.2%). Newer loans are left out because most have not had time to reach either outcome.

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