SBA loans by state
SBA loans in Missouri: 821 approvals in FY 2026, median $250,000
20% of loans ran 15 years or longer. Express was used for only 25% of loans.
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Missouri: 7(a) loans approved last year
821
| Your rate vs. last year’s loans of this size, all states | about the median for this size |
| Missouri: median rate at approval, $50,001 to $250,000 | 9.75% |
| Missouri: median 7(a) loan last year | $250,000 |
| Payment over 10 years, SBA fee added to the loan | $3,378/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.
Missouri, FY 2026: 821 SBA 7(a) approvals for $543.7 million (25th of the 50 states and DC, SBA file of September 30, 2026). 20% of loans ran 15 years or longer. Express was used for only 25% of loans. Credit lines were only 16% of approvals. 21% of loans went to businesses not yet open. Home-state lenders made 38% of the loans, against 26% nationwide. 16% of loans financed the purchase of a business. Few approvals were cancelled, 10%. No lender dominated: the busiest made 13% of loans. The median loan, $250,000, was the 19th largest of the 50 states and DC. Mid-size loans were priced at a median of 9.75%, above the national 9.75%. Lending was spread out; Saint Louis County led with 17%. Today’s cap on a $250,000 variable loan: 13.00%.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bank | 110 | $40,000 | 10.74% | Ohio |
| OakStar Bank | 62 | $285,000 | 9.50% | Missouri (in-state) |
| Newtek Bank | 51 | $125,000 | 9.75% | Florida |
| Live Oak Banking | 35 | $500,000 | 9.00% | North Carolina |
| Four States Bank | 33 | $250,000 | 9.75% | Missouri (in-state) |
Real estate loans weigh heavily
20% of Missouri’s loans ran 15 years or more, 4th highest among the 50 states and DC. Those long loans are the only ones exposed to SBA’s 5-3-1 prepayment fee.
Standard 7(a) more than Express
Only 25% of Missouri’s approvals used SBA Express (34% nationally); 62% were made by Preferred Lenders under delegated authority, with the larger standard guaranty of 85% or 75%.
Term loans, few credit lines
Only 16% of Missouri’s approvals were revolving lines (24% nationally); the rest were term loans repaid on a fixed schedule.
Start-ups borrow a large share
21% of Missouri’s loans funded a business that was not yet open (16% nationwide). SBA’s lending rules ask a start-up to put in cash of its own (an equity injection) of at least 10% of the total project cost, $27,778 on a project financed by a median-size loan.
| Loan size | Loans | Median variable rate, FY 2026 | SBA maximum today |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 or less | 154 | 10.74% | 13.50% |
| $50,001 to $250,000 | 269 | 9.75% | 13.00% |
| $250,001 to $350,000 | 91 | 9.50% | 11.50% |
| over $350,000 | 307 | 9.00% | 10.00% |
Missouri banks keep most of the lending
Lenders with their SBA address in Missouri made 38% of the state’s 821 approvals, 15th of the 50 states and DC and well above the 26% average. OakStar Bank and Four States Bank rank among the five busiest. The two groups priced alike, with median margins of 2.75 points and 2.75 points over prime.
Many loans buy an existing business
Changes of ownership were 16% of Missouri’s approvals (13% nationally). SBA’s rules for buying a business govern them: the buyer’s equity, the valuation of the business and the debt service coverage are checked under their own rules, and a seller note can count toward equity only on stated terms.
Few cancellations
Only 10% of Missouri’s approvals were later cancelled (14% nationally); nearly every loan approved went on to be disbursed.
No dominant lender
The busiest lender, U.S. Bank, made only 13% of Missouri’s approvals; 124 lenders shared the rest. With that many lenders active, a second and third quote are easy to get.
Counties with the most approvals: Saint Louis (141), Jackson (112) and Greene (75). Trades: full-service restaurants (38), fitness and recreational sports centers (23), limited-service restaurants (23), residential remodelers (20) and snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars (18).
All states compared.