From 1 October 2023 to 30 June 2026, 221 SBA lenders approved 4,607 7(a) loans in Georgia worth $3.13 billion. The median loan was $303,000, about twice the national median of $150,300, and the median rate was 10.25%, the national figure. Only 5.6% of loans were fixed-rate and only 14.6% went through SBA Express. Acquisitions were 11.9% of loans, at a median of $850,750. A Georgia borrower should expect a full 7(a) underwrite, model the payments against a rising rate, and weigh 504 for any building.
| Measure | Georgia | All industries |
|---|---|---|
| SBA 7(a) loans approved | 4,607 | 162,355 |
| Median loan | $303,000 | $150,300 |
| Middle half of loans | $120,000 – $714,500 | $50,000 – $500,000 |
| Loans of $1 million or more | 18.7% | 12.9% |
| Median rate at approval | 10.25% | 10.25% |
| Middle half of rates | 9.5% – 11.25% | 9.3% – 11.25% |
| Acquisitions (change of ownership) | 550 (11.9%) | 16,849 (10.4%) |
| Median acquisition loan | $850,750 | $693,000 |
| Lenders that made these loans | 221 | 1,648 |
| SBA 504 loans (real estate, equipment) | 497 | 16,714 |
Approvals FY2024 – FY2026 to date (1 Oct 2023 – 30 Jun 2026), cancelled loans excluded. Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan records, as of June 30, 2026.
- 7(a) loans approved
- 4,607, worth $3.13 billion (1 Oct 2023 – 30 Jun 2026)
- Median loan
- $303,000 (national: $150,300)
- Median rate at approval
- 10.25%, middle half 9.5% to 11.25%
- Fixed-rate share
- 5.6% of loans
- Acquisition loans
- 550 (11.9%), median $850,750 at 9.5%
- SBA 504 loans
- 497, median $1,074,000
Georgia borrows big
Georgia made fewer 7(a) loans than Michigan or Pennsylvania but lent more in total: $3.13 billion across 4,607 loans. The median loan was $303,000, and the middle half ran from $120,000 to $714,500. One loan in ten was larger than $1,875,800, and 860 loans, 18.7% of the total, were for $1 million or more. The median loan supported six jobs.
| Measure | Georgia | Compared with the country |
|---|---|---|
| Median 7(a) loan | $303,000 | About twice the national $150,300 |
| Median rate at approval | 10.25% | The same as the national 10.25% |
| Acquisitions share | 11.9% | Above the national 10.4% |
| SBA Express share | 14.6% | Most loans went through standard 7(a) |
| Start-ups / franchises | 23.1% / 18% | Nearly one loan in four financed a new business |
| Loans of $1 million or more | 860 (18.7%) | Large loans are routine |
The low Express share is the practical point. Express loans, capped at $500,000 with a 50% guaranty, let a lender use more of its own forms and judgement. Standard 7(a) loans carry a 75% guaranty above $150,000 and follow SBA's full underwriting, collateral and documentation requirements. Most Georgia borrowers go through that process, so the quality of the file decides more than the choice of program. SBA 7(a) vs SBA Express compares the two.
Almost every Georgia SBA loan floats
Only 5.6% of Georgia 7(a) loans were fixed-rate. The rest move with the base rate for the life of the loan. The middle half priced from 9.5% to 11.25% at approval, but that is a snapshot: the rate a borrower pays in year four depends on where the base rate is then.
SBA caps how far above the base rate a variable loan can price, and the cap tightens as loans grow: the base rate plus 6.5% for loans of $50,000 or less, plus 6% up to $250,000, plus 4.5% up to $350,000, and plus 3% above $350,000. Georgia's median loan of $303,000 sits in the plus-4.5% tier and its median acquisition loan in the plus-3% tier, consistent with acquisitions pricing lower, at a median of 9.5%.
The discipline is to test the payment, not only the rate. On a balance of 1,000, each point the base rate rises adds about 10 a year in interest. A business earning 1,250 against payments of 1,000 today sits at the 1.25x coverage banks commonly look for; if a rate rise lifts payments to 1,080, the same earnings no longer clear that line. SBA's own minimum is 1.15x, and from 1 October 2026 a change of ownership must show 1.25x on historical results. A borrower whose coverage is thin should ask about a fixed rate even at a higher starting price. See fixed vs variable rate and SBA maximum interest rate.
Child care, snack bars and the franchise economy
Georgia's top five SBA industries by loan count were full-service restaurants (274 loans), limited-service restaurants (244), child care services (116), snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars (108) and fitness and recreational sports centers (96). With franchises at 18% of loans and start-ups at 23.1%, a good share of those restaurant, snack bar and fitness loans are franchise units.
Child care deserves its own paragraph because lenders treat it as a licensed, regulated business first. In Georgia, centers are licensed by the state's early care and learning department, and a new owner generally needs its own license rather than inheriting the seller's, so the licensing timeline sits inside the closing timeline. Lenders read enrollment against licensed capacity, staffing against required ratios, and how much revenue comes from state subsidy payments rather than private tuition, because subsidy rules can change. The building is often the largest asset; a center that owns its property is a natural 504 or 25-year 7(a) candidate. See SBA loans for child care services and financing a daycare acquisition.
Snack bars and quick-service units are often franchise units. A buyer of an existing unit needs the franchisor's approval of the transfer, will often be required to remodel to current standards, and should expect the lender to check the brand's eligibility first. Franchise resale financing covers the steps, and snack and beverage bars has the industry's figures.
Buying an established Georgia company
Georgia lenders approved 550 acquisition loans at a median of $850,750, nearly three times the state's median loan, and 11.9% of all loans, above the national 10.4%. At that size most Georgia acquisitions need an independent business valuation, which SBA requires where the amount financed, less appraised real estate and equipment, exceeds $250,000; the loan for the purchase cannot exceed the valuation. See SBA's valuation requirement.
- Equity: at least 10% of total project costs. A seller note can supply up to half of it only if on full standby, with no payments, for the life of the SBA loan.
- No earnout to the seller, and the seller may not stay on as an owner, officer or employee; consulting is allowed for up to 12 months, or 24 months under SOP 50 10 8.1 from 1 October 2026.
- From 1 October 2026: financial due diligence on every change of ownership, a quality of earnings report at $3 million or more excluding real estate, 1.25x coverage on historical results, and amortization of no more than 10 years except the real estate share.
- Guarantees from every owner of 20% or more of the buyer.
How SBA 7(a) loans finance a business acquisition walks through the structure, and seller notes and the full-standby rule covers the note.
Real estate: 504 loans above $1 million
Georgia lenders made 497 SBA 504 loans at a median of $1,074,000, larger than more than four in five of the state's 7(a) loans. The 504 program finances owner-occupied real estate and long-life equipment, typically 50% from a bank, 40% from the CDC and 10% from the borrower, or 15% for a new business or special-purpose property and 20% for both. The borrower must occupy at least 51% of an existing building or 60% of new construction, and the CDC's share goes up to $5 million, or $5.5 million for manufacturers and energy projects.
For a borrower buying a business and its building together, the choice is between 504 for the property alongside a 7(a) loan for the business, and a single 7(a) with a real estate share amortized over up to 25 years. Since July 2026 the 504 and 7(a) limits are counted separately, which gives larger projects more room. See SBA 7(a) vs SBA 504 and buying a business with its real estate.
SBA or conventional, and preparing the file
SBA earns its cost where the value is goodwill, the buyer's equity is thin, or a longer term is what makes the payments fit. A Georgia company with strong earnings and hard assets may do better with a conventional lender at the 1.25x coverage banks commonly look for, without SBA's guaranty fee and eligibility review. Above $5 million, senior cash-flow lenders commonly lend 2x to 3.5x EBITDA; see SBA 7(a) vs a conventional acquisition loan.
A standard 7(a) file in Georgia should carry two to three years of business and personal tax returns, a P&L and balance sheet, a debt schedule with copies of notes being refinanced, and a personal financial statement for each 20%+ owner, plus:
- A payment model at today's rate and at higher base rates, since almost every loan floats
- For child care, the license status, capacity, enrollment and the share of revenue from subsidy
- For a franchise unit, the franchisor's transfer approval and any remodel requirement
- For an acquisition, the target's latest full year of figures and the letter of intent
Transparent's lender book holds 1,800+ lenders, 278 of them writing SBA 7(a) and 504, so a Georgia request can reach the lenders whose box fits its size and industry among the 221 active in the state. Once the documents are in, Transparent builds the financing model, lender presentation, blind teaser and underwriting memo in a day; by hand the same package takes at least a week. Nothing is charged before closing, and on SBA loans the lender pays Transparent. How we underwrite explains the approach.
Common questions
- Why are SBA loans in Georgia larger than the national average?
- The median Georgia 7(a) loan was $303,000, about twice the national $150,300, and only 14.6% of loans went through SBA Express. The data does not record why, but it shows where the size comes from: fewer small Express loans, a large franchise share at 18% of loans, and acquisitions at a median of $850,750.
- Are Georgia SBA loans fixed or variable?
- Almost all are variable. Only 5.6% of Georgia 7(a) loans approved from October 2023 to June 2026 were fixed-rate. Borrowers should model their payments at higher base rates before committing.
- Can I buy a Georgia daycare with an SBA loan?
- Yes. Child care was Georgia's third-largest SBA industry, with 116 loans. Expect the lender to review licensing for the new owner, enrollment against capacity, staffing ratios and how much revenue comes from state subsidy.
- Should I use SBA 504 to buy my building in Georgia?
- Often it is worth comparing. Georgia's 497 504 loans had a median of $1,074,000. 504 typically needs 10% from the borrower and suits owner-occupied property; a 7(a) loan can also carry real estate for up to 25 years.
- How many lenders make SBA loans in Georgia?
- 221 lenders approved at least one Georgia 7(a) loan from October 2023 to June 2026. They differ in the size, industry and structure they will take, so fit matters more than location.