SBA loans in Phoenix: who lends, what gets bought
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 765 7(a) loans to buy an existing business in the Phoenix area, totaling $909M. The median loan was $785,100, 22% higher than the $645,250 national median. The area is Maricopa County, Arizona, which together make 70% of the state's acquisition loans.
- Loans, FY2018-FY2026
- 765
- Median loan
- $785,100 (middle half $381,000 to $1,522,200)
- Top lender
- Live Oak Banking Company (12%, 93 loans)
- Top industry
- Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly
- Charge-off, FY2018-FY2021 loans
- 3.6% (all-acquisition: 3.5%)
- FY2026 loans (latest complete year)
- 102 (+7% vs FY2025)
SBA lenders approved 765 7(a) loans to buy a business in the Phoenix area from FY2018-FY2026, with a median of $785,100 and a middle half of $381,000 to $1,522,200. Live Oak Banking Company made 12% of them. FY2026 had 102 loans, up 7% from FY2025.
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SBA lenders in Phoenix
The lenders that made the most SBA 7(a) acquisition loans in the Phoenix 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 | 93 | 12.2% | $151M | |
| 2 | Midwest Regional Bank | 51 | 6.7% | $43.6M | |
| 3 | St. Louis Bank | 33 | 4.3% | $51.6M | |
| 4 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 30 | 3.9% | $27.4M | |
| 5 | Bell Bank | 23 | 3.0% | $34.1M | |
| 6 | The Bancorp Bank National Association | 21 | 2.7% | $22.3M | |
| 7 | Evolve Bank and Trust | 20 | 2.6% | $15M | |
| 8 | Arizona Financial Credit Union | 18 | 2.4% | $19.1M | |
| 9 | Alerus Financial, National Association | 17 | 2.2% | $16.5M | |
| 10 | VelocitySBA, LLC | 16 | 2.1% | $19.9M |
What gets bought in Phoenix
| # | Industry | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | 34 | 4.4% | $40.5M | |
| 2 | Full-Service Restaurants | 30 | 3.9% | $23.7M | |
| 3 | General Automotive Repair | 27 | 3.5% | $33M | |
| 4 | Limited-Service Restaurants | 22 | 2.9% | $14.3M | |
| 5 | All Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 20 | 2.6% | $30M | |
| 6 | Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 20 | 2.6% | $27M | |
| 7 | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | 17 | 2.2% | $12.1M | |
| 8 | Home Health Care Services | 14 | 1.8% | $14.5M | |
| 9 | Landscaping Services | 13 | 1.7% | $17.9M | |
| 10 | All Other Miscellaneous Retailers | 13 | 1.7% | $15.2M |
Franchise brands bought in Phoenix
| # | Franchise | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Servpro | 4 | 0.5% | $4.9M | |
| 2 | The Goddard School | 3 | 0.4% | $11.6M | |
| 3 | Midas | 3 | 0.4% | $2.5M | |
| 4 | NAPA AutoCare | 3 | 0.4% | $1.6M | |
| 5 | Dairy Queen | 3 | 0.4% | $1.2M | |
| 6 | BrightStar Care | 2 | 0.3% | $5.3M | |
| 7 | Primrose Schools | 2 | 0.3% | $4M | |
| 8 | Home Instead | 2 | 0.3% | $3.6M | |
| 9 | Maaco | 2 | 0.3% | $3.4M | |
| 10 | Firehouse Subs | 2 | 0.3% | $3.2M | |
| 11 | Orange Theory Fitness | 2 | 0.3% | $2.3M | |
| 12 | System4 | 2 | 0.3% | $2M | |
| 13 | Kiddie Academy | 2 | 0.3% | $2M | |
| 14 | Dogtopia | 2 | 0.3% | $1.9M | |
| 15 | Domino's Pizza | 2 | 0.3% | $1.7M |
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Phoenix acquisition loans by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 51 | $53M | $541,300 | |
| FY2019 | 84 | $99.8M | $814,450 | |
| FY2020 | 78 | $90.7M | $780,150 | |
| FY2021 | 91 | $109M | $855,000 | |
| FY2022 | 75 | $97.2M | $997,400 | |
| FY2023 | 99 | $110M | $761,000 | |
| FY2024 | 90 | $107M | $726,500 | |
| FY2025 | 95 | $125M | $866,000 | |
| FY2026 | 102 | $119M | $789,100 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Of the 303 the Phoenix area acquisition loans approved from FY2018 to FY2021 (the seasoned cohort, every loan at least about five years old), 11 have been charged off by the SBA, a rate of 3.6% by loan count and 1.6% by dollars. 178 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 Phoenix 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 Phoenix compares
| Measure | Phoenix | Arizona, all | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $785,100 | $770,000 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $381,000 to $1,522,200 | $369,550 to $1,523,600 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 8.03% | 8.06% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | 3.6% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 765 | 1,095 | 48,902 |
The median for Phoenix-area acquisition loans is $785,100, in line with the $770,000 median for all Arizona acquisitions and above the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $381,000 to $1,522,200, 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 8.03%, above the 7.76% national average.
Seasoned loans were charged off at 3.6%, in line with the 3.5% rate for all Arizona acquisitions and in line with the 3.5% rate for all acquisition loans.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | Phoenix | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 21% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 37% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 23% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 19% | 17% |
Most Phoenix-area acquisition loans (58%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is $350K to under $1M at 37%, 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 12% of Phoenix-area acquisition loans, and the top three lenders together made 23%. 61 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, 197 Phoenix-area acquisition loans were approved. That is 4% more than the 189 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $799,800, in line with the $785,100 median across all years.
The purchase agreement decides what you bought, not the loan approval.
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Counties in the Phoenix 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 |
|---|---|
| Maricopa, AZ | 765 |
Questions buyers ask
How much do buyers borrow to buy a business in the Phoenix area?
The median SBA 7(a) acquisition loan in the Phoenix area was $785,100 across 765 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), 22% higher than the $645,250 national median. The middle half of loans ran from $381,000 to $1,522,200. 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 Phoenix?
Live Oak Banking Company (93), Midwest Regional Bank (51), St. Louis Bank (33), Celtic Bank Corporation (30), Bell Bank (23). Live Oak Banking Company accounts for 12% of Phoenix-area acquisition loans. See each lender page for industries and states served.
What kinds of businesses are bought with SBA loans in Phoenix?
Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (34), Full-Service Restaurants (30), General Automotive Repair (27), Limited-Service Restaurants (22), All Other Specialty Trade Contractors (20). Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded.
How often do SBA acquisition loans fail in Phoenix?
In the seasoned cohort (FY2018 to FY2021), among 303 Phoenix-area acquisition loans: 3.6% 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 Arizona acquisitions
- Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly nationally
- Full-Service Restaurants nationally
- General Automotive Repair nationally
- Live Oak Banking Company
- Midwest Regional Bank
- St. Louis 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, "Phoenix, AZ: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/metro/phoenix (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/phoenix.json.