SHANE PIERSON · SBA DATA
SBA Lending by State · California

SBA Lending in California

California is the #1 largest SBA market by volume.

265,205
Total SBA loans
$119.4B
Approved dollars
6.2
Loans per 1,000 businesses / yr
-9%
Growth, 2010s to 2020s
11.1%
Active-loan distress
#1
Rank, national volume
#20
Rank, loans per business

Every SBA 7(a) and 504 loan approved in California since 1991 sits in the public federal record. California accounts for 265,205 of them, worth $119.4B, split 220,522 under 7(a) and 44,683 under 504. Roughly 7% of 7(a) went to startups and new businesses.

Top industries funded in California

  • Retail33,067 loans · $13.3B
  • Other24,679 loans · $7.2B
  • Food & Lodging22,813 loans · $11.4B
  • Professional Services20,735 loans · $6.0B
  • Personal Services18,803 loans · $7.0B
  • Manufacturing17,138 loans · $7.8B

Program mix

220,522
7(a) loans
44,683
504 loans
7%
To startups & new businesses
93%
To existing businesses
See California on the interactive map

Drill California to the zip-code level, see its top lenders, and shade it by growth, dollars, or distress.

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Loan counts and dollars cover SBA 7(a) and 504, approved and not cancelled, gross basis. Growth, distress, per-business rates, industries, and startup share describe the 7(a) book. Approval is not funding. FOIA record as of March 31, 2026.