SBA data · North Carolina
SBA lending in North Carolina
21,235 loans worth $12.90B have been approved for North Carolina projects since FY2010 - the #13 state by SBA dollars, 2.5% of the national total.
State rank
#13
by dollars approved
Approved
$12.90B
FY2010 onward
Loans
21,235
Median loan
$261,000
+45% vs national
Median 7(a) rate
7.00%
Jobs supported
247,205
Lender-reported
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) and 504 FOIA data, as of 2026-06-30. Approvals from FY2010 onward. How we calculate this.
Who lends here
The most active SBA lenders in North Carolina
Ranked by dollars approved for projects in this state. Ranking is computed from federal data and cannot be purchased.
| # | Lender | Approved in NC | Loans | Avg loan | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Live Oak Banking Company | $1.38B | 1,070 | $1,291,351 | |
| 2 | Business Expansion Funding Corporation | $878.1M | 1,070 | $820,645 | |
| 3 | First National Bank of Pennsylvania | $643.4M | 883 | $728,700 | |
| 4 | Truist Bank | $569.7M | 1,562 | $364,728 | |
| 5 | Wells Fargo Bank | $562.0M | 2,286 | $245,866 | |
| 6 | Pinnacle Bank | $507.6M | 538 | $943,472 | |
| 7 | GBank | $496.6M | 177 | $2,805,771 | |
| 8 | United Community Bank | $320.9M | 403 | $796,352 | |
| 9 | TowneBank | $308.4M | 325 | $948,851 | |
| 10 | The Huntington National Bank | $275.0M | 623 | $441,467 | |
| 11 | First Bank | $261.7M | 403 | $649,417 | |
| 12 | First Financial Bank | $242.5M | 261 | $928,929 |
By sector in North Carolina
- Restaurants & Hotels3,392 · $3.15B
- Health Care2,135 · $1.44B
- Other Services2,082 · $1.03B
- Retail1,631 · $930.5M
- Professional Services1,913 · $901.8M
- Construction1,968 · $829.1M
- Arts & Recreation824 · $524.8M
- Wholesale746 · $490.7M
- Agriculture518 · $482.1M
- Real Estate505 · $460.0M
- Administrative & Waste1,147 · $377.1M
- Manufacturing499 · $291.6M
Most-financed industries
Approvals by fiscal year
Gross approval dollars in North Carolina. The final bar is a partial fiscal year.
Loan sizes in North Carolina
- Under $50K17%
- $50K - $150K17%
- $150K - $350K22%
- $350K - $1M25%
- $1M - $2M11%
- Over $2M8%
SBA lending in North Carolina: common questions
- How many SBA loans are approved in North Carolina?
- 21,235 SBA 7(a) and 504 loans totalling $12,901,571,700 have been approved for projects in North Carolina since fiscal year 2010, ranking it #13 among states and territories by dollars approved - 2.5% of all SBA lending nationally.
- Which lenders make the most SBA loans in North Carolina?
- By dollars approved in North Carolina, the most active lenders are Live Oak Banking Company, Business Expansion Funding Corporation, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, Truist Bank, Wells Fargo Bank. Volume is not a recommendation - a lender's fit depends on your industry, loan size, and credit profile.
- What is the typical SBA loan size in North Carolina?
- The median gross approval in North Carolina is $261,000, 45% above the national median of $180,000. Half of all loans in the state fall between $20,800 and $1,656,000.
- Do I need to use a lender based in North Carolina?
- No. SBA lenders can and routinely do lend across state lines, and several of the largest national 7(a) lenders have no branch presence at all. The lenders listed on this page are those with the most approved dollars for projects located in North Carolina, wherever they are headquartered.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) and 504 FOIA data, as of 2026-06-30. Approvals from FY2010 onward. How we calculate this.
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