This story originally appeared on Flippa and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Counties receiving the most SBA loans in Arkansas
The Small Business Administration backed loans worth $27.5 billion through its primary lending program in 2023—rising well above pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels as government officials aim to stabilize the economy.
Many small businesses get their start and scale up with SBA loans, which increased lending to Black, Latino, and women entrepreneurs in the past few years in step with efforts to become more equitable.
Flippa found the county in Arkansas where applicants were approved for the most SBA loan funds per capita in fiscal year 2023, which ended in September. The analysis was based on the SBA's most common loan program, known as 7(a) loans. SBA's 7(a) program provides extra security to lenders when they loan money to small businesses that might otherwise be considered too risky to grant. Loans can be for up to $5 million, but in 2023, nearly 7 in 10 loans were for amounts of $350,000 or less. Small businesses can use these funds for real estate acquisitions or improvements, working capital, supplies and equipment, and for other business startup or acquisition purposes.
Barriers do still exist for eligibility, including income, credit history, and location, but SBA loans can be fruitful for founders who don't qualify for conventional business financing. They can also provide protection against high and volatile interest rates, as SBA-backed loans have maximum interest rates that are predictable and often lower than other loans.
In a national analysis of the #1 ranked counties in every state, all but two counties had populations of less than 500,000—most smaller than 100,000. That's not surprising, as the Census Bureau classifies about 99% of U.S. counties as small. Still, it signifies that these smaller communities are building successful entrepreneurial environments. In most cases, their small businesses are able to succeed beyond those within the major U.S. population centers—at least in terms of success in gaining SBA funding.
Read on to see whether your county ranks among those receiving the most SBA loans.
#50. Izard County
- SBA approved about $7.32 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $100,000
- Number of loans: 1
#49. Johnson County
- SBA approved about $8.32 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $215,000
- Number of loans: 1
#48. Yell County
- SBA approved about $10.98 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $225,000
- Number of loans: 1
#47. Miller County
- SBA approved about $14.24 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $610,500
- Number of loans: 2
#46. Baxter County
- SBA approved about $16.55 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $686,300
- Number of loans: 5
#45. Lonoke County
- SBA approved about $16.63 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.2 million
- Number of loans: 5
#44. Madison County
- SBA approved about $18.06 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $298,000
- Number of loans: 1
#43. St. Francis County
- SBA approved about $19.35 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $457,200
- Number of loans: 1
#42. Garland County
- SBA approved about $22.78 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.3 million
- Number of loans: 12
#41. Lincoln County
- SBA approved about $24.40 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $319,500
- Number of loans: 1
#40. Crawford County
- SBA approved about $24.89 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.5 million
- Number of loans: 5
#39. Drew County
- SBA approved about $25.04 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $438,500
- Number of loans: 2
#38. White County
- SBA approved about $25.36 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.0 million
- Number of loans: 5
#37. Mississippi County
- SBA approved about $28.52 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.2 million
- Number of loans: 3
#36. Fulton County
- SBA approved about $29.60 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $357,300
- Number of loans: 3
#35. Conway County
- SBA approved about $32.91 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $680,900
- Number of loans: 3
#34. Crittenden County
- SBA approved about $35.11 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.7 million
- Number of loans: 2
#33. Desha County
- SBA approved about $35.82 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $413,000
- Number of loans: 1
#32. Saline County
- SBA approved about $35.89 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.4 million
- Number of loans: 15
#31. Randolph County
- SBA approved about $36.98 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $682,000
- Number of loans: 2
#30. Craighead County
- SBA approved about $45.73 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $5.0 million
- Number of loans: 9
#29. Polk County
- SBA approved about $51.48 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.0 million
- Number of loans: 2
#28. Greene County
- SBA approved about $52.56 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.4 million
- Number of loans: 1
#27. Pulaski County
- SBA approved about $59.29 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $23.6 million
- Number of loans: 47
#26. Sebastian County
- SBA approved about $62.10 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $7.9 million
- Number of loans: 9
#25. Pope County
- SBA approved about $64.32 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.1 million
- Number of loans: 5
#24. Ouachita County
- SBA approved about $67.53 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.5 million
- Number of loans: 2
#23. Faulkner County
- SBA approved about $67.74 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $8.3 million
- Number of loans: 18
#22. Washington County
- SBA approved about $73.25 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $17.8 million
- Number of loans: 33
#21. Poinsett County
- SBA approved about $74.57 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.7 million
- Number of loans: 1
#20. Hot Spring County
- SBA approved about $83.20 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.8 million
- Number of loans: 7
#19. Cleburne County
- SBA approved about $84.92 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.1 million
- Number of loans: 3
#18. Van Buren County
- SBA approved about $87.81 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.4 million
- Number of loans: 3
#17. Searcy County
- SBA approved about $89.81 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $707,000
- Number of loans: 1
#16. Benton County
- SBA approved about $92.48 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $25.8 million
- Number of loans: 41
#15. Clark County
- SBA approved about $99.10 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.1 million
- Number of loans: 3
#14. Jackson County
- SBA approved about $105.76 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.8 million
- Number of loans: 1
#13. Carroll County
- SBA approved about $125.79 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.5 million
- Number of loans: 6
#12. Hempstead County
- SBA approved about $137.58 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.8 million
- Number of loans: 1
#11. Boone County
- SBA approved about $148.62 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $5.6 million
- Number of loans: 4
#10. Union County
- SBA approved about $150.34 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $5.9 million
- Number of loans: 4
#9. Jefferson County
- SBA approved about $162.86 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $11.1 million
- Number of loans: 7
#8. Sharp County
- SBA approved about $177.71 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.1 million
- Number of loans: 3
#7. Cleveland County
- SBA approved about $187.63 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.4 million
- Number of loans: 2
#6. Logan County
- SBA approved about $191.32 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.1 million
- Number of loans: 1
#5. Sevier County
- SBA approved about $195.97 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.2 million
- Number of loans: 1
#4. Grant County
- SBA approved about $212.99 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.8 million
- Number of loans: 3
#3. Bradley County
- SBA approved about $435.03 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.6 million
- Number of loans: 3
#2. Columbia County
- SBA approved about $508.60 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $11.7 million
- Number of loans: 7
#1. Lawrence County
- SBA approved about $524.00 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $8.5 million
- Number of loans: 3
This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
