SBA loans by state
SBA loans in Arizona: 1,223 approvals in FY 2026, median $300,000
Only 8% of the loans came from lenders based in Arizona. No lender dominated: the busiest made 11% of loans.
Independent site, not a lender and not affiliated with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Loans are applied for only with an SBA lender.
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Arizona: 7(a) loans approved last year
1,223
| Your rate vs. last year’s loans of this size, all states | about the median for this size |
| Arizona: median rate at approval, $250,001 to $350,000 | 9.75% |
| Arizona: median 7(a) loan last year | $300,000 |
| Payment over 10 years, SBA fee added to the loan | $4,011/mo |
Last year’s loans: the 7(a) loans SBA approved from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026 (fiscal year 2026), in SBA’s public loan file of September 30, 2026. Rates at approval were set when prime was 6.75% or 7.00%; today: prime rate 7.00% on November 2, 2026. Your rate is compared on its margin over prime, so the change in prime since last year does not count against you.
Arizona, FY 2026: 1,223 SBA 7(a) approvals for $814.7 million (16th of the 50 states and DC, SBA file of September 30, 2026). Only 8% of the loans came from lenders based in Arizona. No lender dominated: the busiest made 11% of loans. The median loan, $300,000, was the 7th largest of the 50 states and DC. The state stood out for loans to assisted living facilities for the elderly. Maricopa County had 69% of the state’s loans. Credit unions made 7% of loans. Loan sizes were even, with an average of $666,140. Express was used for only 26% of loans. Borrowers reported 11.6 jobs per loan. Credit lines were only 17% of approvals. The state used 504 loans heavily: 177 approvals for $207.3 million. Today’s cap on a $300,000 variable loan: 11.50%.
Fee notices read and loan file counted by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
| Lender | FY 2026 loans | Median loan | Median variable rate | Lender’s home state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newtek Bank | 137 | $150,000 | 9.75% | Florida |
| Zions Bancorporation | 127 | $100,000 | 9.50% | Utah |
| Northeast Bank | 92 | $168,100 | 9.75% | Maine |
| U.S. Bank | 84 | $50,000 | 10.24% | Ohio |
| Live Oak Banking | 63 | $500,000 | 8.60% | North Carolina |
Almost no in-state SBA lending
Home-state lenders made just 8% of Arizona’s loans, 6th lowest among the 50 states and DC. A borrower here usually ends up with Newtek Bank and Zions Bancorporation, dealing by phone and online rather than at a branch. Margins: 2.12 points over prime at the median for in-state lenders, 2.75 points for the others.
No single lender dominates
The busiest lender in Arizona, Newtek Bank, made only 11% of loans, a top-lender share 7th lowest among the 50 states and DC, and the five busiest together 41%. 124 lenders took part.
Among the largest SBA loans in the country
Arizona’s median loan of $300,000 is 6th highest among the 50 states and DC. 39% of its loans were above $350,000, where the variable cap falls to prime plus 3 points and the guaranty fee climbs to 3.5% of the guaranteed part once the loan passes $700,000.
More common here than nationally: assisted living facilities for the elderly
15 Arizona loans went to assisted living facilities for the elderly, 3.0 times the national share for that trade. The most frequent trades overall were full-service restaurants, limited-service restaurants and snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars. SBA’s lending rules list these properties as special-purpose, which raises the owner’s contribution on a 504 project to 15% and allows a 7(a) purchase that is mostly real estate to run up to 25 years.
| Loan size | Loans | Median variable rate, FY 2026 | SBA maximum today |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 or less | 222 | 11.07% | 13.50% |
| $50,001 to $250,000 | 352 | 9.75% | 13.00% |
| $250,001 to $350,000 | 168 | 9.75% | 11.50% |
| over $350,000 | 481 | 8.75% | 10.00% |
Lending centers on Maricopa County
Maricopa County alone had 848 approvals, 69% of the state’s total, ahead of Pima County (143) and Yavapai County (51).
Credit unions take part
Credit unions made 7% of Arizona’s SBA loans, against 3% nationally. A member business can ask its credit union first; the SBA rules and caps are the same.
Loan sizes are even
The average Arizona loan, $666,140, was only 2.2 times the median, one of the narrowest gaps in the country: few very large loans, and a market built around mid-size ones.
Standard 7(a) more than Express
Only 26% of Arizona’s approvals used SBA Express (34% nationally); 69% were made by Preferred Lenders under delegated authority, with the larger standard guaranty of 85% or 75%.
Counties with the most approvals: Maricopa (848), Pima (143) and Yavapai (51). Trades: full-service restaurants (63), limited-service restaurants (30), snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars (29), plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors (27) and residential remodelers (26).
All states compared.