Best SBA lenders
Best SBA lenders in Missouri
The most active SBA lenders in Missouri, ranked from every 7(a) and 504 loan in the SBA's public record, FY2010-2026. U.S. Bank, National Association leads with 1,893 loans funded.
By Mario Bailey · Source: SBA FOIA 7(a) and 504 data, FY2010–2026, as of 2026-03-31
Top SBA lenders in Missouri
The full Missouri 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 Missouri lending only, not its national book. A charge-off rate appears only when a lender has at least 20 funded 7(a) loans in Missouri; 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 | 1,893 | $261.5M | $138K | 4.33% |
| 2 | Simmons Bank | 1,118 | $395.4M | $354K | 8.50% |
| 3 | OakStar Bank | 827 | $520.0M | $629K | 3.99% |
| 4 | The Bank of Missouri | 807 | $219.9M | $272K | 7.19% |
| 5 | Rural Missouri, Inc. | 738 | $544.4M | $738K | not reported |
| 6 | The Central Trust Bank | 681 | $139.2M | $204K | 5.43% |
| 7 | Commerce Bank | 670 | $196.6M | $293K | 0.15% |
| 8 | St. Charles County Economic Development Council | 491 | $316.7M | $645K | not reported |
| 9 | UMB Bank, National Association | 420 | $124.6M | $297K | 0.95% |
| 10 | Arvest Bank | 401 | $100.3M | $250K | 5.24% |
| 11 | Midwest Regional Bank | 386 | $346.9M | $899K | 8.81% |
| 12 | Guaranty Bank | 319 | $138.3M | $433K | 6.27% |
| 13 | Southern Bank | 288 | $152.5M | $529K | 3.82% |
| 14 | Hawthorn Bank | 283 | $80.0M | $283K | 2.83% |
| 15 | Busey Bank | 267 | $202.1M | $757K | 4.87% |
| 16 | The Huntington National Bank | 260 | $120.7M | $464K | 4.23% |
| 17 | Live Oak Banking Company | 244 | $395.0M | $1.6M | 0.82% |
| 18 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 201 | $128.1M | $638K | 5.47% |
| 19 | The Callaway Bank | 174 | $22.6M | $130K | 2.30% |
| 20 | BayFirst National Bank | 173 | $36.1M | $209K | 10.40% |
| 21 | Northeast Bank | 166 | $26.6M | $160K | 3.01% |
| 22 | STL Partnership CDC | 158 | $114.9M | $727K | not reported |
| 23 | Farmers and Merchants Bank of St. Clair | 157 | $26.3M | $168K | 5.73% |
| 24 | Heartland Business Capital, Inc. | 155 | $81.4M | $525K | not reported |
| 25 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 147 | $59.3M | $403K | 9.52% |
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 Missouri
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 Missouri by each program's loans funded since FY2010:
- 1. U.S. Bank, National Association 1,893 loans
- 2. Simmons Bank 1,118 loans
- 3. OakStar Bank 827 loans
- 4. The Bank of Missouri 807 loans
- 5. The Central Trust Bank 681 loans
- 1. Rural Missouri, Inc. 738 loans
- 2. St. Charles County Economic Development Council 491 loans
- 3. STL Partnership CDC 158 loans
- 4. Heartland Business Capital, Inc. 155 loans
- 5. Enterprise Development Corporation 101 loans
Counts are each program's funded loans in Missouri. How the two programs differ: 504 vs 7(a), by the data.
Where SBA lending concentrates in Missouri
The 3 industries with the most SBA loans in Missouri 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 | 2,552 | $1.5B | Simmons Bank (197 loans) |
| Retail Trade | 2,325 | $991.7M | U.S. Bank, National Association (197 loans) |
| Construction | 2,078 | $658.2M | U.S. Bank, National Association (548 loans) |
Full industry, city, and yearly breakdowns: SBA lending in Missouri.
How this ranking works
- “Most active” means loans funded. The ranking counts every SBA 7(a) and 504 loan funded to Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri; 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 Missouri: frequently asked questions
Who is the most active SBA lender in Missouri?
U.S. Bank, National Association is the most active SBA lender in Missouri in the public record, with 1,893 7(a) and 504 loans funded since FY2010 ($261.5M in Missouri). The ranking counts loans funded, never who pays us.
Do these lenders only serve Missouri?
No. The ranking measures activity in Missouri: loans funded to Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri?
163 lenders have funded at least 10 SBA loans in Missouri 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 Missouri. SBA Loan Index. https://sbaloanindex.com/best-sba-lenders/in/mo/
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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