This story originally appeared on Flippa and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Counties receiving the most SBA loans in Georgia
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 Georgia 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. Coweta County
- SBA approved about $85.69 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $12.4 million
- Number of loans: 21
#49. Coffee County
- SBA approved about $88.27 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.8 million
- Number of loans: 6
#48. Rockdale County
- SBA approved about $92.37 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $8.6 million
- Number of loans: 11
#47. Ben Hill County
- SBA approved about $95.67 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.6 million
- Number of loans: 4
#46. Chatham County
- SBA approved about $95.96 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $28.3 million
- Number of loans: 54
#45. Bartow County
- SBA approved about $98.88 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $10.7 million
- Number of loans: 20
#44. Wheeler County
- SBA approved about $99.11 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $750,100
- Number of loans: 1
#43. Carroll County
- SBA approved about $99.84 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $11.8 million
- Number of loans: 10
#42. Tift County
- SBA approved about $100.52 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.1 million
- Number of loans: 2
#41. Camden County
- SBA approved about $100.53 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $5.5 million
- Number of loans: 6
#40. Walton County
- SBA approved about $103.05 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $9.8 million
- Number of loans: 13
#39. Wayne County
- SBA approved about $104.95 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.2 million
- Number of loans: 2
#38. Morgan County
- SBA approved about $105.06 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.1 million
- Number of loans: 4
#37. Lumpkin County
- SBA approved about $105.77 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.5 million
- Number of loans: 6
#36. Effingham County
- SBA approved about $106.04 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $6.7 million
- Number of loans: 12
#35. Henry County
- SBA approved about $108.28 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $25.6 million
- Number of loans: 37
#34. Dodge County
- SBA approved about $109.56 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.2 million
- Number of loans: 3
#33. Rabun County
- SBA approved about $110.67 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.9 million
- Number of loans: 3
#32. Towns County
- SBA approved about $113.74 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.4 million
- Number of loans: 3
#31. Baldwin County
- SBA approved about $115.63 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $5.1 million
- Number of loans: 2
#30. DeKalb County
- SBA approved about $119.67 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $90.8 million
- Number of loans: 127
#29. Clinch County
- SBA approved about $125.53 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $845,700
- Number of loans: 2
#28. Hall County
- SBA approved about $127.83 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $25.8 million
- Number of loans: 39
#27. Grady County
- SBA approved about $135.76 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.5 million
- Number of loans: 1
#26. Dawson County
- SBA approved about $136.44 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.6 million
- Number of loans: 6
#25. Cherokee County
- SBA approved about $139.63 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $36.6 million
- Number of loans: 53
#24. Cobb County
- SBA approved about $146.99 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $112.1 million
- Number of loans: 170
#23. Screven County
- SBA approved about $149.91 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.1 million
- Number of loans: 1
#22. Gwinnett County
- SBA approved about $156.82 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $148.7 million
- Number of loans: 241
#21. Clayton County
- SBA approved about $161.37 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $47.5 million
- Number of loans: 32
#20. Forsyth County
- SBA approved about $161.74 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $39.7 million
- Number of loans: 47
#19. Elbert County
- SBA approved about $168.53 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.3 million
- Number of loans: 3
#18. Fayette County
- SBA approved about $179.76 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $21.2 million
- Number of loans: 35
#17. Fulton County
- SBA approved about $186.09 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $196.2 million
- Number of loans: 317
#16. Spalding County
- SBA approved about $192.43 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $12.8 million
- Number of loans: 11
#15. Habersham County
- SBA approved about $197.52 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $9.0 million
- Number of loans: 2
#14. Butts County
- SBA approved about $213.83 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $5.3 million
- Number of loans: 2
#13. Gilmer County
- SBA approved about $220.45 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $6.8 million
- Number of loans: 8
#12. Glynn County
- SBA approved about $220.57 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $18.6 million
- Number of loans: 15
#11. Greene County
- SBA approved about $225.18 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.2 million
- Number of loans: 5
#10. Hart County
- SBA approved about $236.30 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $6.1 million
- Number of loans: 4
#9. McDuffie County
- SBA approved about $247.85 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $5.4 million
- Number of loans: 5
#8. Dooly County
- SBA approved about $259.15 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.0 million
- Number of loans: 2
#7. Macon County
- SBA approved about $292.26 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.6 million
- Number of loans: 1
#6. White County
- SBA approved about $307.68 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $8.6 million
- Number of loans: 4
#5. Putnam County
- SBA approved about $309.79 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $6.8 million
- Number of loans: 4
#4. Pickens County
- SBA approved about $326.54 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $10.7 million
- Number of loans: 14
#3. Peach County
- SBA approved about $330.53 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $9.2 million
- Number of loans: 5
#2. Wilcox County
- SBA approved about $485.24 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.3 million
- Number of loans: 1
#1. McIntosh County
- SBA approved about $888.00 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $10.0 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.
