Key takeaways
- 7(a) and 504 loans stay a preferred funding software for companies throughout trade, income and measurement classes
- The SBA weekly lending report offers beneficial data on mortgage funding primarily based on particular demographic information
- Nearly all of 7(a) loans for working capital are below $50,000, whereas nearly all of 504 loans are between $500,000 and $2 million.
The Small Enterprise Administration (SBA) weekly lending report covers the 2 main packages supplied by the SBA: 7(a) loans and 504 loans. This report offers perception into the industries which might be being funded in addition to demographic breakdowns primarily based on state, race, gender and veteran standing.
As a enterprise proprietor, it may well additionally information you to what lenders have essentially the most expertise, highest approval charges and highest quantities – which might increase your probabilities of approval and of getting your funds extra shortly.
SBA loans are designed to cowl the prices of working your corporation. Their capped rates of interest make them an reasonably priced possibility for borrowing, and their necessities might be extra accessible for startups or lower-revenue companies. Whereas solely 20 % of companies making use of for funding utilized for an SBA mortgage, in response to findings from 2025 Small Enterprise Credit score Survey, 55 % of candidates have been totally or partially accredited.
By realizing the numbers, you possibly can tailor your utility to doubtlessly enhance your probabilities of being accredited.
Bankrate perception
- The SBA accredited over 60,000 (62,893) 7(a) loans and over 5,000 (5,471) 504 loans within the fiscal yr 2024
- The typical mortgage measurement was $443,097 for the SBA 7(a) mortgage and $11,112,115 for the 504 mortgage within the fiscal yr 2024
- The very best variety of 7(a) loans (29 %) have been for $50,000 or much less in 2024
- Most 504 loans (49.5 %) have been between $500,000 and $2 million in 2024
- 83 % of SBA 7(a) loans and 82 % of 504 loans within the fiscal yr 2024 have been accredited for city areas
- Most SBA 7(a) loans (59 %) and 504 loans (79 %) went to companies greater than two years outdated in 2024
- 16 % of seven(a) loans and 504 loans in 2024 have been accredited for startups or for entrepreneurs planning to make use of their mortgage to launch their enterprise
What’s the SBA weekly lending report?
The SBA releases information each week about its 7(a) and 504 mortgage packages. Beforehand, this was completed by way of a weekly lending report. The report highlighted funding primarily based on elements like race, gender, veteran standing and trade. It additionally broke down its numbers primarily based on the full quantity funded for every program and what number of candidates had been accredited.
The SBA 7(a) and 504 abstract report is an interactive dashboard that gives a lot of the identical monetary data. It’s now not summarized in a weekly report, however yow will discover the identical information up to date usually and damaged down by fiscal yr, together with information factors akin to race, gender, veteran standing and age of enterprise.
Take a look at our SBA Lending Information
Need extra insights on SBA charges, approval rankings and easy methods to make your utility shine? Study extra from our knowledgeable SBA mortgage information.
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How does the SBA weekly lending report work?
The SBA weekly lending report gathers data from taking part lenders and candidates. As a result of it’s offered voluntarily, the knowledge will not be utterly correct. The lending report can be utilized as a normal gauge to see big-picture traits within the 7(a) and 504 mortgage packages.
The SBA additionally publishes abstract stories every month and every year, summarizing lender exercise over time and permitting you to see traits in lending quantities and approvals.
How you can use the SBA weekly lending report to search out lenders
The weekly lending report could be a great tool for enterprise house owners trying to get an SBA mortgage, for the reason that report lists the lenders with essentially the most accredited loans and general mortgage quantities.
Expertise and mortgage quantity issues in a lender. Simply because a lender is SBA licensed or has dealt with SBA loans earlier than doesn’t imply that they’re one of the best choose. Whereas within the fiscal yr of 2025 over 23,000 lenders accomplished no less than one 7(a) mortgage, just one.6 % accomplished 10 or extra loans in that point interval, in response to SBA information.
Going with an skilled lender that has dealt with over tons of of purposes and a excessive quantity of mortgage quantities may also help make the applying course of smoother, increase your probabilities of approval and pace up the method.
As such, going with a lender inexperienced in SBA lending can hamper the method, says Chris Hurn, founder and CEO of SBA lender Fountainhead.
“You do not need to be somebody’s guinea pig,” Hurn says. “You hear these horror tales about an SBA mortgage that took six months or 9 months to shut. It’s typically instances as a result of the borrower picked the improper lender.”
Whereas there are almost 4,500 banks in the US, lower than a 3rd of them have processed an SBA mortgage within the final 12 months, Hurn provides.
Utilizing the SBA’s weekly report can provide you perception into the highest lenders for mortgage quantity and mortgage quantities, and assist you to select an skilled lender who can help your utility and that has a better approval price.
Bankrate perception
When selecting an SBA lender, it may be useful to choose an SBA Most well-liked Lender. These lenders are licensed to carry out their very own underwriting, which might pace up the method. You should use the SBA Lender Match software to discover a most well-liked lender in your space.
SBA 7(a) vs. SBA 504 mortgage approvals
SBA 7(a) loans are designed for working capital and common enterprise bills. They’re the most typical possibility for enterprise house owners, with over 62,000 accredited purposes in 2024. The approval rely has surpassed pre-pandemic numbers; in 2019, there have been nearly 52,000 accredited purposes for 7(a) loans with a mean mortgage measurement of $446,487.
SBA 504 loans are meant for gear financing and industrial actual property. Whereas much less frequent — and harder to qualify for — they’re funded by way of Licensed Improvement Firms (CDCs), community-based organizations that promote native financial growth.
As such, 7(a) approvals counts are typically greater than 504 approvals, since they’re extra versatile and can be utilized for a wide range of bills. Nevertheless, 504 loans command additional cash in complete lent and bigger loans general. Whereas solely round 5,400 504 loans have been accredited in 2024, the general approval quantity was $6,067,275,000, with a mean mortgage measurement of $11,112,115.
| Complete approvals | Approval quantity | Common mortgage measurement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBA 7(a) | 62,893 | $27,364,040,800 | $443,097 |
| SBA 504 | 5,471 | $6,067,275,000 | $11,112,115 |
Bankrate perception
Take a look at our information for extra data on SBA 7(a) vs. SBA 504 loans.
SBA 7(a) and 504 approvals over time
SBA 7(a) and 504 mortgage approvals and quantities have modified over time, with 7(a) loans seeing general extra approvals during the last 5 years. Whereas 2021 noticed a spike in approvals as a consequence of decrease rates of interest, 2025 is about to see an new excessive in 7(a) loans, with over 70,000 accredited as of August 2025.
“By all by all projections it seems to be like this would be the greatest yr in SBA fundings on file,” Hurn stated. “The SBA was below such a highlight through the pandemic that I feel you’ve got much more folks wanting favorably upon SBA lending as possibility due to the higher phrases.”
Whereas 504 loans haven’t seen an enormous rise – and actually, for fiscal yr 2024, have been decrease in each approval rely and funding from 2022 – approval and funding totals have slowly been rising since 2023.
| Fiscal 12 months | 7(a) approval rely | 7(a) approval quantity | 504 approval rely | 504 approval quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 36,913 | $18,575,389,800 | 6,378 | $5,231,311,000 |
| 2021 | 43,634 | $29,317,869,800 | 9,372 | $7,901,969,540 |
| 2022 | 42,885 | $22,858,941,600 | 8,656 | $8,569,842,290 |
| 2023 | 49,922 | $23,543,070,200 | 5,344 | $5,720,607,000 |
| 2024 | 62,893 | $27,364,040,800 | 5,471 | $6,067,275,000 |
| 2025* | 71,054 | $32,717,297,500 | 6,092 | $6,985,204,000 |
High SBA 7(a) mortgage quantities
7(a) loans are the preferred kind of SBA loans as a consequence of their versatility. One of these mortgage can be utilized for almost any type of enterprise expense, and the quantities funded are typically wide-ranging.
The 7(a) program additionally presents a wide range of processing strategies and distribution choices, together with Specific loans, which supply faster funding for loans below $500,000, and the microloan program, which presents loans below $50,000.
As such, the preferred mortgage quantity for 7(a) loans was for lower than $50,000, with 29 % of accredited loans being on this class for the fiscal yr of 2024. Subsequent-most well-liked was for loans between $50,000 and $150,000, composing 26 % of all accredited 7(a) loans. Third-most well-liked was for mortgage quantities between $500,000 and $2 million, composing 15 % of seven(a) approvals.
| Mortgage quantity | Complete approvals | Approval quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Lower than $50,000 | 18,364 | $605,729,100 |
| $50,000 to $150,000 | 16,111 | $1,853,912,900 |
| $150,000 to $250,000 | 6,009 | $1,294,705,100 |
| $250,000 to $350,000 | 4,412 | $1,374,541,500 |
| $350,000 to $500,000 | 5,699 | $2,573,902,500 |
| $500,000 to $2 million | 9,361 | $9,710,356,800 |
| Over $2 million | 2,937 | $9,950,892,900 |
Bankrate perception
In case your SBA mortgage is denied, ask the lender why. The reply may also help you resolve for those who ought to apply once more, discover a totally different SBA mortgage or lender, or search for a brand new kind of enterprise mortgage with extra relaxed eligibility necessities.
High SBA 504 mortgage quantities
Nearly all of 504 loans (49.5 %) have been for quantities between $500,000 and $2 million. It is because 504 loans are used for bigger purchases, akin to gear and actual property, that may price nicely into the tens or tons of of 1000’s of {dollars}. As such, they are typically rarer than 7(a) loans as a consequence of their restrictions, and approval might be harder to acquire.
Loans higher than $2 million make up the second-largest class of 504 loans, adopted intently by loans within the $350,000 to $500,000 vary. Loans smaller than $50,000, however, have persistently seen fewer than 10 approvals since 2019, with the utmost variety of annual approvals sitting at 15 in 2021.
| Mortgage quantity | Complete approvals | Approval quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Lower than $50,000 | 5 | $240,000 |
| $50,000 to $150,000 | 209 | $24,329,000 |
| $150,000 to $250,000 | 470 | $95,890,000 |
| $250,000 to $350,000 | 542 | $162,418,000 |
| $350,000 to $500,000 | 701 | $298,208,000 |
| $500,000 to $2 million | 2,710 | $2,762,216,000 |
| Over $2 million | 834 | $2,723,974,000 |
High SBA 7(a) mortgage approvals by trade
The highest trade for 7(a) loans within the 2024 fiscal yr was building, 14.1 % of all 7(a) loans going to a building agency. That is adopted by lodging meals providers taking 12.0 % of seven(a) loans and retail commerce taking 11.4 % of loans. Lodging commanded the best general approval quantity, borrowing $5,193,400,400 in complete.
That is just like the highest three industries in 2023 have been the identical classes, with 13.4 % of seven(a) loans going to building, 13.1 % going to accomodation and advert 12.1 % going to retail commerce.
Regardless of representing solely 0.1 % of seven(a) loans, with a complete approval of 87, mining, quarrying and fuel extraction companies had the best common mortgage quantity at $712,254.02.
Listed here are the highest ten industries accredited for 7(a) loans in fiscal yr 2024.
| Trade | Complete approvals | Approval quantity | Common mortgage measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development | 9,874 | $3,268,988,300 | $331,070.32 |
| Lodging and meals providers | 8,400 | $5,193,400,400 | $618,261.95 |
| Retail commerce | 7,984 | $4,019,877,600 | $503,491.68 |
| Skilled, scientific, and technical Providers | 7,222 | $2,618,720,000 | $362,603.16 |
| Different providers (besides public administration) | 6,942 | $2,621,512,300 | $377,630.70 |
| Well being care and social help | 6,717 | $3,419,768,800 | $509,121.45 |
| Administrative/Help/Waste Administration/Remediation providers | 4,168 | $1,385,641,700 | $332,447.62 |
| Manufacturing | 4,142 | $2,405,816,900 | $580,834.60 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,803 | $1,024,559,500 | $269,408.23 |
| Wholesale commerce | 3,218 | $1,721,991,800 | $535,112.43 |
High SBA 504 mortgage approvals by trade
The highest-funded industries for 504 loans are just like their 7(a) counterparts. Lodging and meals providers noticed the best % of approvals at 17.2 % and acquired the most important share of funding — 22.1 % of the $6.4 billion in 504 loans went to companies in lodging and meals providers.
Well being care made up the second-largest share of funding and approvals, with well being care companies taking 14.4 % of approvals and 12.1 % of funding quantities.
These numbers are just like 504 funding from 2023, with lodging and meals providers being essentially the most accredited and top-funded trade (16.5 %).
Transportation and warehousing, regardless of representing solely 2.2 % of loans, had one of many largest common mortgage sizes at $1,473,567.16, in comparison with $1,425,943.85 for accomodation and meals providers.
| Trade | Complete approvals | Approval quantity | Common mortgage measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lodging and meals Providers | 1,033 | $1,473,000,000 | $1,425,943.85 |
| Well being care and social Help | 861 | $807,518,000 | $937,883.86 |
| Different providers (besides public administration) | 676 | $533,280,000 | $788,875.74 |
| Retail commerce | 671 | $728,676,000 | $1,085,955.29 |
| Development | 588 | $467,602,000 | $795,241.50 |
| Manufacturing | 512 | $718,331,000 | $1,402,990.23 |
| Skilled, scientific, and technical providers | 381 | $333,023,000 | $874,076.12 |
| Wholesale commerce | 311 | $505,845,000 | $1,626,511.25 |
| Arts, leisure, and recreation | 222 | $268,821,000 | $1,210,905.41 |
| Actual property and rental and leasing | 162 | $214,319,000 | $1,322,956.79 |
Backside line
The weekly lending report offers perception into how SBA loans are funded. Its information may also help information your corporation to request mortgage quantities it’s extra more likely to be accredited for. Whereas there may be lots of data to absorb, it’s value familiarizing your self with.
If your corporation is just not in a incessantly funded trade, otherwise you wish to discover different choices, you possibly can evaluate prime enterprise loans to search out extra methods to finance your corporation.
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