Best SBA lenders
Best SBA lenders in Kentucky
The most active SBA lenders in Kentucky, ranked from every 7(a) and 504 loan in the SBA's public record, FY2010-2026. U.S. Bank, National Association leads with 1,095 loans funded.
By Mario Bailey · Source: SBA FOIA 7(a) and 504 data, FY2010–2026, as of 2026-03-31
Top SBA lenders in Kentucky
The full Kentucky ranking, by SBA loans funded since FY2010. Every figure is in-state: each lender's loans, dollars, average loan size, and 7(a) charge-off rate cover its Kentucky lending only, not its national book. A charge-off rate appears only when a lender has at least 20 funded 7(a) loans in Kentucky; below that line, and on 504-only lending, it reads “not reported,” never 0%.
| # | Lender | Loans | Total funded | Average loan | 7(a) charge-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 1,095 | $194.2M | $177K | 3.84% |
| 2 | The Huntington National Bank | 1,077 | $240.9M | $224K | 3.62% |
| 3 | Community Trust Bank, Inc. | 1,063 | $168.2M | $158K | 6.68% |
| 4 | Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company | 497 | $221.6M | $446K | 3.62% |
| 5 | Republic Bank & Trust Company | 364 | $123.2M | $338K | 0.27% |
| 6 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 288 | $61.5M | $214K | 4.86% |
| 7 | Community Ventures Corporation | 197 | $131.1M | $665K | not reported |
| 8 | PNC Bank, National Association | 190 | $34.8M | $183K | 3.68% |
| 9 | First Financial Bank | 182 | $84.1M | $462K | 2.20% |
| 10 | Capital Access Corporation - Kentucky | 179 | $136.5M | $763K | not reported |
| 11 | Fifth Third Bank | 174 | $47.1M | $271K | 2.30% |
| 12 | Live Oak Banking Company | 171 | $226.3M | $1.3M | 0.58% |
| 13 | Northeast Bank | 151 | $26.1M | $173K | 1.99% |
| 14 | Traditional Bank Inc | 145 | $53.1M | $366K | 4.14% |
| 15 | South Central Bank, Inc. | 127 | $32.7M | $257K | 2.36% |
| 16 | Truist Bank | 125 | $34.5M | $276K | 4.00% |
| 17 | The Paducah Bank and Trust Company | 107 | $16.5M | $155K | 3.74% |
| 18 | Alloy Development Co., Inc. | 106 | $83.3M | $786K | not reported |
| 19 | First Financial Bank, National Association | 91 | $30.4M | $334K | 1.10% |
| 20 | BayFirst National Bank | 91 | $15.0M | $165K | 8.79% |
| 21 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 86 | $46.8M | $544K | 11.63% |
| 22 | Newtek Bank, National Association | 81 | $30.1M | $371K | 0.00% |
| 23 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 73 | $20.6M | $282K | 1.37% |
| 24 | FNB Bank, Inc. | 72 | $12.0M | $167K | 0.00% |
| 25 | Peoples Bank | 69 | $48.2M | $698K | 7.25% |
SBA 7(a) and 504 loans, FY2010–2026, as of 2026-03-31, from the SBA's public record.
7(a) banks vs 504 lenders (CDCs) in Kentucky
The two SBA programs have different lenders. A 7(a) loan comes from one bank or credit union; a 504 project pairs a bank with a Certified Development Company (CDC), the nonprofit that funds the SBA-backed portion. The leaders in Kentucky by each program's loans funded since FY2010:
- 1. U.S. Bank, National Association 1,095 loans
- 2. The Huntington National Bank 1,077 loans
- 3. Community Trust Bank, Inc. 1,063 loans
- 4. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company 497 loans
- 5. Republic Bank & Trust Company 364 loans
- 1. Community Ventures Corporation 196 loans
- 2. Capital Access Corporation - Kentucky 179 loans
- 3. Alloy Development Co., Inc. 106 loans
- 4. Purchase Area Development District 48 loans
- 5. Premier Capital Corporation 34 loans
Counts are each program's funded loans in Kentucky. How the two programs differ: 504 vs 7(a), by the data.
Where SBA lending concentrates in Kentucky
The 3 industries with the most SBA loans in Kentucky since FY2010, and the most active lender in each. A lender that leads your industry locally can matter more than the overall #1.
| Industry | Loans | Total funded | Most active lender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 1,264 | $785.4M | The Huntington National Bank (137 loans) |
| Retail Trade | 1,191 | $399.6M | Community Trust Bank, Inc. (231 loans) |
| Construction | 1,025 | $241.9M | U.S. Bank, National Association (315 loans) |
Full industry, city, and yearly breakdowns: SBA lending in Kentucky.
How this ranking works
- “Most active” means loans funded. The ranking counts every SBA 7(a) and 504 loan funded to Kentucky businesses in the SBA's public FOIA record, FY2010–2026, as of 2026-03-31. No lender pays to appear or to rank, and activity is not a fit score: the right lender for you depends on your industry, loan size, and timeline.
- The 10-loan line. A lender enters the Kentucky table only with at least 10 loans funded in-state, so one-off activity never reads as a track record. Industry cells above are held to at least 30 loans.
- Charge-off is 7(a)-only and needs 20+ loans. The SBA reports charge-offs on 7(a) loans, never on 504 loans. We show an in-state rate only when a lender has at least 20 funded 7(a) loans in Kentucky; anything thinner reads “not reported,” never 0%. It is a charge-off share of funded loans to date, not a lifetime default rate.
- Name collisions are excluded, and counted. The SBA does not normalize lender names across mergers and rebrands, so one name can blend several unrelated institutions. Flagged names are never ranked on this page; each exclusion is disclosed under the table.
The exact calculations and limits: methodology.
Best SBA lenders in Kentucky: frequently asked questions
Who is the most active SBA lender in Kentucky?
U.S. Bank, National Association is the most active SBA lender in Kentucky in the public record, with 1,095 7(a) and 504 loans funded since FY2010 ($194.2M in Kentucky). The ranking counts loans funded, never who pays us.
Do these lenders only serve Kentucky?
No. The ranking measures activity in Kentucky: loans funded to Kentucky businesses in the SBA's record. Many of these lenders are national or multi-state institutions; the loans, dollars, and charge-off figures shown are their Kentucky lending only.
What's the difference between a 7(a) lender and a CDC?
A 7(a) lender is a bank or credit union that funds an SBA-guaranteed loan directly. A Certified Development Company (CDC) is a nonprofit that funds the SBA-backed portion of a 504 project alongside a bank. Charge-off is reported only on 7(a) loans, so a 504-only CDC shows "not reported," never 0%.
How many SBA lenders are active in Kentucky?
75 lenders have funded at least 10 SBA loans in Kentucky since FY2010 in the public record (as of 2026-03-31). The table above names the 25 most active of them; names that blend several same-named institutions are excluded from rankings.
Mario Bailey. (2026). Best SBA lenders in Kentucky. SBA Loan Index. https://sbaloanindex.com/best-sba-lenders/in/ky/
Free to cite and quote with attribution and a link. Members of the press can reach us via our press page.
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