This story originally appeared on Flippa and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Counties receiving the most SBA loans in Oklahoma
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 Oklahoma 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.
#49. Le Flore County
- SBA approved about $0.65 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $31,500
- Number of loans: 1
#48. Jackson County
- SBA approved about $2.48 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $62,000
- Number of loans: 1
#47. Pottawatomie County
- SBA approved about $3.62 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $261,500
- Number of loans: 3
#46. Carter County
- SBA approved about $4.34 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $208,800
- Number of loans: 1
#45. Grady County
- SBA approved about $5.03 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $275,400
- Number of loans: 6
#44. Lincoln County
- SBA approved about $5.56 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $187,000
- Number of loans: 1
#43. Comanche County
- SBA approved about $10.25 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.2 million
- Number of loans: 3
#42. Nowata County
- SBA approved about $11.56 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $109,600
- Number of loans: 2
#41. Garfield County
- SBA approved about $12.79 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $800,700
- Number of loans: 8
#40. Pittsburg County
- SBA approved about $13.93 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $610,600
- Number of loans: 2
#39. Osage County
- SBA approved about $14.95 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $690,000
- Number of loans: 2
#38. Washita County
- SBA approved about $15.07 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $166,000
- Number of loans: 2
#37. Cherokee County
- SBA approved about $15.46 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $731,400
- Number of loans: 2
#36. Canadian County
- SBA approved about $15.50 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.3 million
- Number of loans: 13
#35. Ellis County
- SBA approved about $22.69 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $86,500
- Number of loans: 1
#34. McIntosh County
- SBA approved about $22.83 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $436,100
- Number of loans: 2
#33. Garvin County
- SBA approved about $22.98 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $596,300
- Number of loans: 2
#32. Marshall County
- SBA approved about $27.02 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $415,000
- Number of loans: 1
#31. Logan County
- SBA approved about $30.14 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.5 million
- Number of loans: 4
#30. Cleveland County
- SBA approved about $30.39 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $8.9 million
- Number of loans: 30
#29. Muskogee County
- SBA approved about $30.76 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.1 million
- Number of loans: 7
#28. Payne County
- SBA approved about $33.56 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.7 million
- Number of loans: 3
#27. Bryan County
- SBA approved about $39.71 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.8 million
- Number of loans: 2
#26. Love County
- SBA approved about $40.23 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $406,500
- Number of loans: 1
#25. Okmulgee County
- SBA approved about $52.10 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.9 million
- Number of loans: 5
#24. Kiowa County
- SBA approved about $55.18 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $470,000
- Number of loans: 2
#23. Wagoner County
- SBA approved about $55.97 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.5 million
- Number of loans: 13
#22. Woodward County
- SBA approved about $63.97 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.3 million
- Number of loans: 5
#21. Sequoyah County
- SBA approved about $65.06 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.6 million
- Number of loans: 3
#20. Rogers County
- SBA approved about $67.73 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $6.4 million
- Number of loans: 10
#19. Texas County
- SBA approved about $69.06 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.5 million
- Number of loans: 2
#18. Oklahoma County
- SBA approved about $69.11 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $54.7 million
- Number of loans: 115
#17. Custer County
- SBA approved about $71.12 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $2.0 million
- Number of loans: 5
#16. Murray County
- SBA approved about $81.81 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.1 million
- Number of loans: 1
#15. Pawnee County
- SBA approved about $82.18 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.3 million
- Number of loans: 3
#14. Mayes County
- SBA approved about $84.29 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.3 million
- Number of loans: 3
#13. Washington County
- SBA approved about $95.24 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $5.0 million
- Number of loans: 10
#12. Tulsa County
- SBA approved about $98.91 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $65.7 million
- Number of loans: 126
#11. Pontotoc County
- SBA approved about $100.25 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.8 million
- Number of loans: 7
#10. Ottawa County
- SBA approved about $104.55 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.2 million
- Number of loans: 3
#9. Stephens County
- SBA approved about $105.45 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.5 million
- Number of loans: 8
#8. McClain County
- SBA approved about $107.91 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.5 million
- Number of loans: 6
#7. Creek County
- SBA approved about $128.81 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $9.3 million
- Number of loans: 8
#6. Blaine County
- SBA approved about $131.26 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $1.2 million
- Number of loans: 2
#5. Seminole County
- SBA approved about $163.50 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $3.9 million
- Number of loans: 3
#4. Kay County
- SBA approved about $171.13 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $7.5 million
- Number of loans: 7
#3. Beckham County
- SBA approved about $227.94 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $5.1 million
- Number of loans: 4
#2. Delaware County
- SBA approved about $303.36 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $12.3 million
- Number of loans: 8
#1. Craig County
- SBA approved about $311.00 per resident in 7(a) loans in 2023.
- Total approved funds: $4.4 million
- Number of loans: 2
This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
