SBA loans in Austin: who lends, what gets bought
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 367 7(a) loans to buy an existing business in the Austin area, totaling $444M. The median loan was $700,000, 8% higher than the $645,250 national median. The area is Travis, Williamson and Hays Counties, Texas, which together make 9% of the state's acquisition loans. Volume rose 135% from FY2024 to FY2026.
- Loans, FY2018-FY2026
- 367
- Median loan
- $700,000 (middle half $320,000 to $1,670,000)
- Top lender
- Live Oak Banking Company (19%, 68 loans)
- Top industry
- Full-Service Restaurants
- Charge-off, FY2018-FY2021 loans
- 4.3% (all-acquisition: 3.5%)
- FY2026 loans (latest complete year)
- 61 (-2% vs FY2025)
SBA lenders approved 367 7(a) loans to buy a business in the Austin area from FY2018-FY2026, with a median of $700,000 and a middle half of $320,000 to $1,670,000. Live Oak Banking Company made 19% of them. FY2026 had 61 loans, about flat from FY2025.
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SBA lenders in Austin
The lenders that made the most SBA 7(a) acquisition loans in the Austin 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 | Live Oak Banking Company | 68 | 18.5% | $97.4M | |
| 2 | The Huntington National Bank | 24 | 6.5% | $24.3M | |
| 3 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 13 | 3.5% | $4.6M | |
| 4 | Midwest Regional Bank | 12 | 3.3% | $6.5M | |
| 5 | Horizon Bank SSB | 11 | 3.0% | $12.7M | |
| 6 | Bankwell Bank | 9 | 2.5% | $12.6M | |
| 7 | First Internet Bank of Indiana | 9 | 2.5% | $8.9M | |
| 8 | Fifth Third Bank | 8 | 2.2% | $13.6M | |
| 9 | Frost Bank | 8 | 2.2% | $4.7M | |
| 10 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 7 | 1.9% | $9.7M |
What gets bought in Austin
| # | Industry | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Full-Service Restaurants | 16 | 4.4% | $19.3M | |
| 2 | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | 10 | 2.7% | $16.4M | |
| 3 | All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10 | 2.7% | $9.8M | |
| 4 | Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels | 9 | 2.5% | $32M | |
| 5 | Child Care Services | 9 | 2.5% | $19.8M | |
| 6 | Landscaping Services | 9 | 2.5% | $6.7M | |
| 7 | General Automotive Repair | 8 | 2.2% | $9.9M | |
| 8 | Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 8 | 2.2% | $9.2M | |
| 9 | Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers | 8 | 2.2% | $5M | |
| 10 | Limited-Service Restaurants | 7 | 1.9% | $9.2M |
Franchise brands bought in Austin
| # | Franchise | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primrose Schools | 3 | 0.8% | $14.7M | |
| 2 | Comfort Keepers | 3 | 0.8% | $2M | |
| 3 | The Goddard School | 2 | 0.5% | $9.9M | |
| 4 | Best Western | 2 | 0.5% | $5.9M | |
| 5 | Domino's Pizza | 2 | 0.5% | $4.1M | |
| 6 | Soccer Shots | 2 | 0.5% | $2.9M | |
| 7 | Closet Factory | 2 | 0.5% | $1.1M | |
| 8 | Home Instead | 2 | 0.5% | $1.1M | |
| 9 | Pak Mail | 2 | 0.5% | $895K | |
| 10 | Hampton Inn | 1 | 0.3% | $5M | |
| 11 | Sleep Inn | 1 | 0.3% | $4.1M | |
| 12 | Golden Corral | 1 | 0.3% | $3.7M | |
| 13 | La Quinta | 1 | 0.3% | $3.6M | |
| 14 | Rodeway Inn | 1 | 0.3% | $2.9M | |
| 15 | AAMCO Transmissions and Total Car Care | 1 | 0.3% | $2.7M |
Seller note standby terms and third-party consents are reviewed before closing.
Submit Transaction DetailsAlex Lubyansky leads every engagement.
Austin acquisition loans by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 27 | $19.5M | $500,000 | |
| FY2019 | 39 | $36.1M | $456,000 | |
| FY2020 | 41 | $50.9M | $823,000 | |
| FY2021 | 33 | $44.6M | $737,800 | |
| FY2022 | 41 | $52.6M | $612,000 | |
| FY2023 | 37 | $45.7M | $729,000 | |
| FY2024 | 26 | $37.6M | $1,000,000 | |
| FY2025 | 62 | $82.3M | $777,350 | |
| FY2026 | 61 | $75M | $876,000 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Of the 140 the Austin area acquisition loans approved from FY2018 to FY2021 (the seasoned cohort, every loan at least about five years old), 6 have been charged off by the SBA, a rate of 4.3% by loan count and 2.2% by dollars. 75 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 Austin area is 22% higher than 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 Austin compares
| Measure | Austin | Texas, all | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $700,000 | $870,000 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $320,000 to $1,670,000 | $384,025 to $1,883,250 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 7.91% | 7.78% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | 4.3% | 4.8% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 367 | 4,080 | 48,902 |
The median for Austin-area acquisition loans is $700,000, below the $870,000 median for all Texas acquisitions and slightly above the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $320,000 to $1,670,000, 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 7.91%, above the 7.76% national average.
Seasoned loans were charged off at 4.3%, below the 4.8% rate for all Texas acquisitions and above the 3.5% rate for all acquisition loans.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | Austin | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 29% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 31% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 20% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 20% | 17% |
Most Austin-area acquisition loans (60%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is $350K to under $1M at 31%, against 33% of all acquisition loans.
Bands are fixed dollar ranges chosen for comparison. They are not SBA program limits.
Lender concentration
Live Oak Banking Company made 19% of Austin-area acquisition loans, and the top three lenders together made 29%. 36 of the 99 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, 123 Austin-area acquisition loans were approved. That is 95% more than the 63 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $781,700, slightly above the $700,000 median across all years.
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Counties in the Austin 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 |
|---|---|
| Travis, TX | 230 |
| Williamson, TX | 105 |
| Hays, TX | 32 |
Questions buyers ask
How much do buyers borrow to buy a business in the Austin area?
The median SBA 7(a) acquisition loan in the Austin area was $700,000 across 367 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), 8% higher than the $645,250 national median. The middle half of loans ran from $320,000 to $1,670,000. 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 Austin?
Live Oak Banking Company (68), The Huntington National Bank (24), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (13), Midwest Regional Bank (12), Horizon Bank SSB (11). Live Oak Banking Company accounts for 19% of Austin-area acquisition loans. See each lender page for industries and states served.
What kinds of businesses are bought with SBA loans in Austin?
Full-Service Restaurants (16), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (10), All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (10), Hotels and Motels (9), Child Care Services (9). Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded.
How often do SBA acquisition loans fail in Austin?
In the seasoned cohort (FY2018 to FY2021), among 140 Austin-area acquisition loans: 4.3% charged off, 22% higher than the 3.5% national acquisition average.
Seller note standby terms and third-party consents are reviewed before closing.
Submit Transaction DetailsAlex Lubyansky leads every engagement.
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Related
- All Texas acquisitions
- Full-Service Restaurants nationally
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages nationally
- All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services nationally
- Live Oak Banking Company
- The Huntington National Bank
- Wells Fargo Bank National Association
- 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, "Austin, TX: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/metro/austin (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/austin.json.