SBA loans in Atlanta: who lends, what gets bought
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 740 7(a) loans to buy an existing business in the Atlanta area, totaling $928M. The median loan was $710,050, 10% higher than the $645,250 national median. The area is Fulton, Dekalb, Cobb and Gwinnett Counties, Georgia, which together make 42% of the state's acquisition loans. Volume rose 30% from FY2024 to FY2026.
- Loans, FY2018-FY2026
- 740
- Median loan
- $710,050 (middle half $341,500 to $1,705,000)
- Top lender
- Metro City Bank (10%, 73 loans)
- Top industry
- Full-Service Restaurants
- Charge-off, FY2018-FY2021 loans
- 3.7% (all-acquisition: 3.5%)
- FY2026 loans (latest complete year)
- 87 (-17% vs FY2025)
SBA lenders approved 740 7(a) loans to buy a business in the Atlanta area from FY2018-FY2026, with a median of $710,050 and a middle half of $341,500 to $1,705,000. Metro City Bank made 10% of them. Full-Service Restaurants was the largest industry. FY2026 had 87 loans, down 17% from FY2025.
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SBA lenders in Atlanta
The lenders that made the most SBA 7(a) acquisition loans in the Atlanta area, FY2018 to FY2026. Many lend in more than one state; open a lender page to see where else it lends.
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metro City Bank | 73 | 9.9% | $170M | |
| 2 | Live Oak Banking Company | 57 | 7.7% | $87.3M | |
| 3 | United Community Bank | 32 | 4.3% | $27.6M | |
| 4 | The Huntington National Bank | 32 | 4.3% | $24.5M | |
| 5 | Renasant Bank | 28 | 3.8% | $29.7M | |
| 6 | SouthState Bank, National Association | 26 | 3.5% | $32.6M | |
| 7 | Georgia Banking Company | 23 | 3.1% | $26.4M | |
| 8 | Hanmi Bank | 20 | 2.7% | $14.9M | |
| 9 | Open Bank | 19 | 2.6% | $28.7M | |
| 10 | Byline Bank | 16 | 2.2% | $18.6M |
What gets bought in Atlanta
| # | Industry | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Full-Service Restaurants | 63 | 8.5% | $46.3M | |
| 2 | Limited-Service Restaurants | 62 | 8.4% | $25.7M | |
| 3 | Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers | 57 | 7.7% | $153M | |
| 4 | Child Care Services | 29 | 3.9% | $62.5M | |
| 5 | Drycleaning and Laundry Services (except Coin-Operated) | 26 | 3.5% | $13.3M | |
| 6 | Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels | 23 | 3.1% | $85M | |
| 7 | Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers | 19 | 2.6% | $7.6M | |
| 8 | Car Washes | 15 | 2.0% | $42M | |
| 9 | Landscaping Services | 12 | 1.6% | $16.5M | |
| 10 | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | 12 | 1.6% | $10.2M |
Franchise brands bought in Atlanta
| # | Franchise | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Subway | 11 | 1.5% | $2.1M | |
| 2 | The UPS Store | 10 | 1.4% | $4.1M | |
| 3 | Primrose Schools | 8 | 1.1% | $21.9M | |
| 4 | American Deli | 6 | 0.8% | $2.2M | |
| 5 | Ace Hardware | 4 | 0.5% | $5.5M | |
| 6 | The Goddard School | 3 | 0.4% | $10M | |
| 7 | Days Inn | 3 | 0.4% | $8.5M | |
| 8 | Kids 'R' Kids | 3 | 0.4% | $6.8M | |
| 9 | Christian Brothers Automotive | 3 | 0.4% | $5.4M | |
| 10 | Signarama | 3 | 0.4% | $3.3M | |
| 11 | Marco's Pizza | 3 | 0.4% | $1.5M | |
| 12 | Burn Boot Camp Fitness | 3 | 0.4% | $1.4M | |
| 13 | Firehouse Subs | 3 | 0.4% | $1.3M | |
| 14 | WNB Factory | 3 | 0.4% | $1.1M | |
| 15 | Johnny's Pizza | 3 | 0.4% | $1.1M |
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Atlanta acquisition loans by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 73 | $80.5M | $696,000 | |
| FY2019 | 99 | $112M | $619,000 | |
| FY2020 | 85 | $113M | $800,000 | |
| FY2021 | 98 | $120M | $660,000 | |
| FY2022 | 62 | $88.1M | $743,000 | |
| FY2023 | 64 | $72.9M | $751,900 | |
| FY2024 | 67 | $86M | $694,400 | |
| FY2025 | 105 | $130M | $775,500 | |
| FY2026 | 87 | $125M | $810,000 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Of the 355 the Atlanta area acquisition loans approved from FY2018 to FY2021 (the seasoned cohort, every loan at least about five years old), 13 have been charged off by the SBA, a rate of 3.7% by loan count and 1.4% by dollars. 199 have already been paid in full.
For comparison, the charge-off rate across all SBA 7(a) acquisition loans in the same cohort is 3.5%, so the Atlanta area is in line with the acquisition-loan average. Non-acquisition 7(a) loans (every other stated purpose) approved FY2018 to FY2021 charged off at 6.2%.
"Charged off" is the SBA's final loss action on a defaulted loan after collection efforts. It lags default by a year or more, which is why only older cohorts are measured. It is not the same as a delinquency rate, and loans still outstanding can still fail. See charge-off in the glossary.
How Atlanta compares
| Measure | Atlanta | Georgia, all | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $710,050 | $875,000 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $341,500 to $1,705,000 | $379,175 to $1,904,700 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 7.65% | 7.62% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | 3.7% | 3.2% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 740 | 1,774 | 48,902 |
The median for Atlanta-area acquisition loans is $710,050, below the $875,000 median for all Georgia acquisitions and slightly above the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $341,500 to $1,705,000, against $283,000 to $1,465,000 nationally; the median term is 10 years, the same as the national median; the average initial rate is 7.65%, in line with the 7.76% national average.
Seasoned loans were charged off at 3.7%, above the 3.2% rate for all Georgia acquisitions and in line with the 3.5% rate for all acquisition loans.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | Atlanta | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 26% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 34% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 20% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 20% | 17% |
Most Atlanta-area acquisition loans (60%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is $350K to under $1M at 34%, against 33% of all acquisition loans.
Bands are fixed dollar ranges chosen for comparison. They are not SBA program limits.
Lender concentration
Metro City Bank made 10% of Atlanta-area acquisition loans, and the top three lenders together made 22%. 64 of the 116 lenders involved made three or more. Repeat experience is spread across many banks. That is a rough guide to how many banks have seen this kind of deal before.
Recent activity
In FY2025 and FY2026 combined, 192 Atlanta-area acquisition loans were approved. That is 47% more than the 131 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $787,500, slightly above the $710,050 median across all years.
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Counties in the Atlanta area
Loans are assigned to the area by the project county the lender recorded, not the borrower's mailing address. The counties used, with loans in each:
| County | Loans |
|---|---|
| Fulton, GA | 246 |
| Dekalb, GA | 125 |
| Cobb, GA | 166 |
| Gwinnett, GA | 203 |
Questions buyers ask
How much do buyers borrow to buy a business in the Atlanta area?
The median SBA 7(a) acquisition loan in the Atlanta area was $710,050 across 740 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), 10% higher than the $645,250 national median. The middle half of loans ran from $341,500 to $1,705,000. A loan is not the purchase price: it is net of the buyer's equity injection and usually includes some working capital.
Which banks make the most SBA acquisition loans in Atlanta?
Metro City Bank (73), Live Oak Banking Company (57), United Community Bank (32), The Huntington National Bank (32), Renasant Bank (28). Metro City Bank accounts for 10% of Atlanta-area acquisition loans. See each lender page for industries and states served.
What kinds of businesses are bought with SBA loans in Atlanta?
Full-Service Restaurants (63), Limited-Service Restaurants (62), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (57), Child Care Services (29), Drycleaning and Laundry Services (26). Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded.
How often do SBA acquisition loans fail in Atlanta?
In the seasoned cohort (FY2018 to FY2021), among 355 Atlanta-area acquisition loans: 3.7% charged off, in line with the 3.5% national acquisition average.
That draft favors the seller. We review it for the buyer, line by line.
Submit Transaction DetailsAlex Lubyansky leads every engagement.
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Related
- All Georgia acquisitions
- Full-Service Restaurants nationally
- Limited-Service Restaurants nationally
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers nationally
- Metro City Bank
- Live Oak Banking Company
- United Community Bank
- All metro areas
- SBA lenders by state
The metro area is a fixed list of counties chosen for this site, not an official statistical area. State is the project state recorded by the lender.
Cite this data
SBA Acquisition Data, "Atlanta, GA: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/metro/atlanta (data as of September 30, 2026). Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loan file, data.sba.gov. Aggregated by SBA Acquisition Data.
The figures on this page are also published as JSON at https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/data/metro/atlanta.json.