SBA data · Tennessee
SBA lending in Tennessee
10,041 loans worth $5.90B have been approved for Tennessee projects since FY2010 - the #24 state by SBA dollars, 1.2% of the national total.
State rank
#24
by dollars approved
Approved
$5.90B
FY2010 onward
Loans
10,041
Median loan
$250,000
+39% vs national
Median 7(a) rate
7.24%
Jobs supported
122,853
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 Tennessee
Ranked by dollars approved for projects in this state. Ranking is computed from federal data and cannot be purchased.
| # | Lender | Approved in TN | Loans | Avg loan | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pinnacle Bank | $491.8M | 513 | $958,760 | |
| 2 | Live Oak Banking Company | $457.7M | 340 | $1,346,264 | |
| 3 | Brightbridge, Inc. | $367.2M | 394 | $932,037 | |
| 4 | U.S. Bank | $252.5M | 1,283 | $196,775 | |
| 5 | The Huntington National Bank | $217.1M | 517 | $420,006 | |
| 6 | United Community Bank | $161.0M | 185 | $870,470 | |
| 7 | Regions Bank | $160.9M | 216 | $745,121 | |
| 8 | First Financial Bank | $149.8M | 181 | $827,555 | |
| 9 | Truist Bank | $145.1M | 290 | $500,376 | |
| 10 | Simmons Bank | $114.9M | 220 | $522,147 | |
| 11 | First Horizon Bank | $113.9M | 102 | $1,116,685 | |
| 12 | Celtic Bank Corporation | $107.9M | 240 | $449,548 |
By sector in Tennessee
- Restaurants & Hotels1,519 · $1.29B
- Health Care892 · $639.6M
- Other Services1,031 · $514.4M
- Retail865 · $500.5M
- Professional Services830 · $391.9M
- Construction1,058 · $321.0M
- Arts & Recreation490 · $286.1M
- Wholesale362 · $252.1M
- Agriculture179 · $219.0M
- Administrative & Waste608 · $186.5M
- Real Estate245 · $183.4M
- Transportation272 · $142.1M
Most-financed industries
Approvals by fiscal year
Gross approval dollars in Tennessee. The final bar is a partial fiscal year.
Loan sizes in Tennessee
- Under $50K18%
- $50K - $150K17%
- $150K - $350K23%
- $350K - $1M23%
- $1M - $2M10%
- Over $2M8%
SBA lending in Tennessee: common questions
- How many SBA loans are approved in Tennessee?
- 10,041 SBA 7(a) and 504 loans totalling $5,900,146,900 have been approved for projects in Tennessee since fiscal year 2010, ranking it #24 among states and territories by dollars approved - 1.2% of all SBA lending nationally.
- Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Tennessee?
- By dollars approved in Tennessee, the most active lenders are Pinnacle Bank, Live Oak Banking Company, Brightbridge, Inc., U.S. Bank, The Huntington National 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 Tennessee?
- The median gross approval in Tennessee is $250,000, 39% above the national median of $180,000. Half of all loans in the state fall between $23,400 and $1,620,000.
- Do I need to use a lender based in Tennessee?
- 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 Tennessee, 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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