Best SBA lenders
Best SBA lenders in Ohio
The most active SBA lenders in Ohio, ranked from every 7(a) and 504 loan in the SBA's public record, FY2010-2026. The Huntington National Bank leads with 31,207 loans funded.
By Mario Bailey · Source: SBA FOIA 7(a) and 504 data, FY2010–2026, as of 2026-03-31
Top SBA lenders in Ohio
The full Ohio 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 Ohio lending only, not its national book. A charge-off rate appears only when a lender has at least 20 funded 7(a) loans in Ohio; 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 | The Huntington National Bank | 31,207 | $5.0B | $160K | 3.37% |
| 2 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 2,498 | $525.7M | $210K | 4.16% |
| 3 | KeyBank National Association | 1,803 | $670.7M | $372K | 3.00% |
| 4 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 1,446 | $248.4M | $172K | 4.08% |
| 5 | Growth Capital Corp. | 987 | $429.7M | $435K | 5.41% |
| 6 | First Financial Bank | 903 | $365.3M | $405K | 3.10% |
| 7 | Fifth Third Bank | 880 | $386.4M | $439K | 3.86% |
| 8 | PNC Bank, National Association | 770 | $186.6M | $242K | 1.82% |
| 9 | Telhio Credit Union Inc | 704 | $155.4M | $221K | 1.85% |
| 10 | Alloy Development Co., Inc. | 655 | $482.0M | $736K | not reported |
| 11 | First Commonwealth Bank | 508 | $329.9M | $649K | 0.39% |
| 12 | The Community Bank | 494 | $56.3M | $114K | 1.01% |
| 13 | Live Oak Banking Company | 480 | $603.6M | $1.3M | 1.04% |
| 14 | Ohio Statewide Development Corporation | 472 | $255.4M | $541K | not reported |
| 15 | Citizens Bank, National Association | 472 | $70.4M | $149K | 2.75% |
| 16 | Community Capital Development Corporation | 466 | $258.1M | $554K | not reported |
| 17 | Peoples Bank | 462 | $201.4M | $436K | 1.95% |
| 18 | German American Bank | 413 | $115.3M | $279K | 0.73% |
| 19 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 403 | $228.7M | $568K | 8.93% |
| 20 | Northwest Bank | 391 | $163.0M | $417K | 1.02% |
| 21 | United Midwest Savings Bank National Association | 365 | $254.3M | $697K | 4.11% |
| 22 | WesBanco Bank, Inc. | 324 | $203.1M | $627K | 1.23% |
| 23 | Northeast Bank | 323 | $53.3M | $165K | 2.17% |
| 24 | Consumers National Bank | 316 | $80.6M | $255K | 0.63% |
| 25 | BayFirst National Bank | 287 | $55.6M | $194K | 8.71% |
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 Ohio
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 Ohio by each program's loans funded since FY2010:
- 1. The Huntington National Bank 31,207 loans
- 2. U.S. Bank, National Association 2,498 loans
- 3. KeyBank National Association 1,803 loans
- 4. JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association 1,446 loans
- 5. First Financial Bank 903 loans
- 1. Alloy Development Co., Inc. 655 loans
- 2. Growth Capital Corp. 599 loans
- 3. Ohio Statewide Development Corporation 472 loans
- 4. Community Capital Development Corporation 463 loans
- 5. Cascade Capital Corporation 227 loans
Counts are each program's funded loans in Ohio. How the two programs differ: 504 vs 7(a), by the data.
Where SBA lending concentrates in Ohio
The 3 industries with the most SBA loans in Ohio 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 8,125 | $1.3B | The Huntington National Bank (5,304 loans) |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 6,802 | $3.0B | The Huntington National Bank (3,592 loans) |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 6,582 | $836.5M | The Huntington National Bank (5,562 loans) |
Full industry, city, and yearly breakdowns: SBA lending in Ohio.
How this ranking works
- “Most active” means loans funded. The ranking counts every SBA 7(a) and 504 loan funded to Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Ohio; 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 Ohio: frequently asked questions
Who is the most active SBA lender in Ohio?
The Huntington National Bank is the most active SBA lender in Ohio in the public record, with 31,207 7(a) and 504 loans funded since FY2010 ($5.0B in Ohio). The ranking counts loans funded, never who pays us.
Do these lenders only serve Ohio?
No. The ranking measures activity in Ohio: loans funded to Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Ohio?
136 lenders have funded at least 10 SBA loans in Ohio 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 Ohio. SBA Loan Index. https://sbaloanindex.com/best-sba-lenders/in/oh/
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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