This story originally appeared on Flippa and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Counties receiving the most SBA loans in Mississippi
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 Mississippi 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. Itawamba County
- SBA approved about $6.29 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $150,000
- Number of loans: 1
#49. Lamar County
- SBA approved about $7.57 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $481,500
- Number of loans: 3
#48. Monroe County
- SBA approved about $8.51 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $293,000
- Number of loans: 2
#47. Chickasaw County
- SBA approved about $14.91 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $255,000
- Number of loans: 3
#46. Lawrence County
- SBA approved about $16.93 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $204,100
- Number of loans: 1
#45. Quitman County
- SBA approved about $19.76 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $125,000
- Number of loans: 1
#44. Bolivar County
- SBA approved about $20.77 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $650,000
- Number of loans: 1
#43. Washington County
- SBA approved about $24.08 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.1 million
- Number of loans: 5
#42. Copiah County
- SBA approved about $28.25 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $803,900
- Number of loans: 3
#41. Holmes County
- SBA approved about $29.93 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $516,000
- Number of loans: 1
#40. Forrest County
- SBA approved about $34.31 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.7 million
- Number of loans: 10
#39. Hancock County
- SBA approved about $35.39 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.6 million
- Number of loans: 3
#38. Lee County
- SBA approved about $36.42 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.0 million
- Number of loans: 8
#37. Tate County
- SBA approved about $44.52 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.3 million
- Number of loans: 2
#36. Wilkinson County
- SBA approved about $47.32 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $412,000
- Number of loans: 1
#35. DeSoto County
- SBA approved about $47.88 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $8.8 million
- Number of loans: 14
#34. Winston County
- SBA approved about $54.23 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $967,700
- Number of loans: 2
#33. Wayne County
- SBA approved about $56.51 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.1 million
- Number of loans: 3
#32. Warren County
- SBA approved about $57.31 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.6 million
- Number of loans: 2
#31. Hinds County
- SBA approved about $60.35 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $13.9 million
- Number of loans: 22
#30. Jackson County
- SBA approved about $63.68 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $9.1 million
- Number of loans: 11
#29. Simpson County
- SBA approved about $72.57 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.9 million
- Number of loans: 14
#28. Lowndes County
- SBA approved about $75.59 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.5 million
- Number of loans: 5
#27. Lauderdale County
- SBA approved about $77.06 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $5.7 million
- Number of loans: 5
#26. Lafayette County
- SBA approved about $77.76 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.3 million
- Number of loans: 8
#25. Rankin County
- SBA approved about $79.26 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $12.4 million
- Number of loans: 25
#24. Greene County
- SBA approved about $80.36 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.1 million
- Number of loans: 1
#23. Stone County
- SBA approved about $82.19 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.5 million
- Number of loans: 2
#22. Marshall County
- SBA approved about $85.16 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.9 million
- Number of loans: 2
#21. Lincoln County
- SBA approved about $85.81 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.0 million
- Number of loans: 6
#20. Jefferson Davis County
- SBA approved about $89.89 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.0 million
- Number of loans: 2
#19. Perry County
- SBA approved about $92.50 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.1 million
- Number of loans: 1
#18. Madison County
- SBA approved about $102.63 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $11.1 million
- Number of loans: 32
#17. Panola County
- SBA approved about $115.40 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.8 million
- Number of loans: 4
#16. Pike County
- SBA approved about $120.07 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.8 million
- Number of loans: 6
#15. Marion County
- SBA approved about $124.05 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.1 million
- Number of loans: 5
#14. Jones County
- SBA approved about $130.58 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $8.8 million
- Number of loans: 5
#13. Clay County
- SBA approved about $138.00 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.6 million
- Number of loans: 1
#12. Newton County
- SBA approved about $144.96 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.1 million
- Number of loans: 2
#11. Harrison County
- SBA approved about $154.43 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $32.0 million
- Number of loans: 24
#10. Scott County
- SBA approved about $173.74 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.9 million
- Number of loans: 5
#9. Neshoba County
- SBA approved about $174.61 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $5.1 million
- Number of loans: 7
#8. Tallahatchie County
- SBA approved about $207.09 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.7 million
- Number of loans: 1
#7. Walthall County
- SBA approved about $215.05 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.0 million
- Number of loans: 5
#6. Leake County
- SBA approved about $225.20 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.8 million
- Number of loans: 3
#5. Jasper County
- SBA approved about $322.00 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $5.3 million
- Number of loans: 8
#4. Covington County
- SBA approved about $330.47 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $6.1 million
- Number of loans: 23
#3. Noxubee County
- SBA approved about $442.07 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.6 million
- Number of loans: 4
#2. Amite County
- SBA approved about $491.43 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $6.3 million
- Number of loans: 4
#1. Smith County
- SBA approved about $506.00 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $7.3 million
- Number of loans: 14
This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
