SBA loans by state
SBA loans in Mississippi: 297 approvals in FY 2026, median $349,900
Express was used for only 11% of loans. The median loan, $349,900, was the 1st largest of the 50 states and DC.
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Mississippi: 7(a) loans approved last year
297
| Your rate vs. last year’s loans of this size, all states | about the median for this size |
| Mississippi: median rate at approval, $250,001 to $350,000 | 9.50% |
| Mississippi: median 7(a) loan last year | $349,900 |
| Payment over 10 years, SBA fee added to the loan | $4,680/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.
Mississippi, FY 2026: 297 SBA 7(a) approvals for $227.3 million (37th of the 50 states and DC, SBA file of September 30, 2026). Express was used for only 11% of loans. The median loan, $349,900, was the 1st largest of the 50 states and DC. 504 lending was light, 6 approvals. No lender dominated: the busiest made 9% of loans. The state stood out for loans to broilers and other meat type chicken production. 27% of loans went to businesses not yet open. Home-state lenders made 48% of the loans, against 26% nationwide. 29% of loans ran 15 years or longer. Credit lines were only 7% of approvals. Lending was spread out; Rankin County led with 9%. Today’s cap on a $350,000 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citizens National Bank of Meridian | 28 | $198,950 | 9.50% | Mississippi (in-state) |
| Northeast Bank | 22 | $150,000 | 9.88% | Maine |
| Community Bank of Mississippi | 21 | $418,000 | n/a | Mississippi (in-state) |
| Newtek Bank | 21 | $100,000 | 9.75% | Florida |
| Peoples Bank | 21 | $265,500 | 8.25% | Mississippi (in-state) |
Express is rarely used
SBA Express made up only 11% of Mississippi’s approvals, the lowest among the 50 states and DC. Preferred Lenders took 77% and loans processed by SBA itself 4%, so most borrowers here get the full 85% or 75% guaranty.
Among the largest SBA loans in the country
Mississippi’s median loan of $349,900 is the highest among the 50 states and DC. 46% 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.
Hardly any 504 loans
Only 6 504 debentures went to Mississippi projects against 297 7(a) loans, a ratio 2nd lowest among the 50 states and DC. The CDC most present was Three Rivers Local Development Company, Inc.. For a building, the 504 route is still open and worth pricing against a 7(a) real estate loan.
No single lender dominates
The busiest lender in Mississippi, Citizens National Bank of Meridian, made only 9% of loans, a top-lender share 2nd lowest among the 50 states and DC, and the five busiest together 38%. 52 lenders took part.
| Loan size | Loans | Median variable rate, FY 2026 | SBA maximum today |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 or less | 38 | 9.75% | 13.50% |
| $50,001 to $250,000 | 87 | 9.50% | 13.00% |
| $250,001 to $350,000 | 36 | 9.50% | 11.50% |
| over $350,000 | 136 | 8.00% | 10.00% |
More common here than nationally: broilers and other meat type chicken production
40 Mississippi loans went to broilers and other meat type chicken production, 73.4 times the national share for that trade. The most frequent trades overall were broilers and other meat type chicken production, hotels and motels and full-service restaurants. The trade is on the food supply chain list of the FY 2027 fee notice, so its 7(a) loans of $700,000 or less pay no guaranty fee, and its 504 loans pay neither the upfront nor the annual SBA fee.
A start-up state
With 27% of loans going to businesses not yet open, Mississippi ranks 2nd highest among the 50 states and DC for start-up lending. Every one of those borrowers had to put in at least 10% of the project cost, under SOP 50 10 8.1.
One of the most home-grown SBA markets
Few states rely on their own banks the way Mississippi does: 48% of its loans came from a lender headquartered there, 5th highest among the 50 states and DC. Citizens National Bank of Meridian, Community Bank of Mississippi and Peoples Bank carry most of that. Margins: 2.00 points over prime at the median for in-state lenders, 2.75 points for the others.
Real estate loans weigh heavily
29% of Mississippi’s loans ran 15 years or more, the highest among the 50 states and DC. Those long loans are the only ones exposed to SBA’s 5-3-1 prepayment fee.
Counties with the most approvals: Rankin (26), Hinds (23) and Harrison (22). Trades: broilers and other meat type chicken production (40), hotels and motels (14), full-service restaurants (13), chicken egg production (12) and insurance agencies and brokerages (9).
All states compared.