SBA loans in San Diego: who lends, what gets bought
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 436 7(a) loans to buy an existing business in the San Diego area, totaling $466M. The median loan was $546,000, 15% lower than the $645,250 national median. The area is San Diego County, California, which together make 8% of the state's acquisition loans.
- Loans, FY2018-FY2026
- 436
- Median loan
- $546,000 (middle half $270,750 to $1,323,975)
- Top lender
- Live Oak Banking Company (17%, 76 loans)
- Top industry
- Full-Service Restaurants
- Charge-off, FY2018-FY2021 loans
- 4.9% (all-acquisition: 3.5%)
- FY2026 loans (latest complete year)
- 53 (-32% vs FY2025)
SBA lenders approved 436 7(a) loans to buy a business in the San Diego area from FY2018-FY2026, with a median of $546,000 and a middle half of $270,750 to $1,323,975. Live Oak Banking Company made 17% of them. FY2026 had 53 loans, down 32% from FY2025.
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SBA lenders in San Diego
The lenders that made the most SBA 7(a) acquisition loans in the San Diego 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 | 76 | 17.4% | $107M | |
| 2 | CDC Small Business Finance Corp. | 35 | 8.0% | $7.4M | |
| 3 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 17 | 3.9% | $17.5M | |
| 4 | The Huntington National Bank | 14 | 3.2% | $8.8M | |
| 5 | Zions Bancorporation, National Association | 14 | 3.2% | $6.5M | |
| 6 | Byline Bank | 13 | 3.0% | $16.3M | |
| 7 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 12 | 2.8% | $22.7M | |
| 8 | First Internet Bank of Indiana | 12 | 2.8% | $16.4M | |
| 9 | Columbia Bank | 12 | 2.8% | $14.1M | |
| 10 | BMO Bank National Association | 12 | 2.8% | $8M |
What gets bought in San Diego
| # | Industry | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Full-Service Restaurants | 22 | 5.0% | $10.9M | |
| 2 | Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 17 | 3.9% | $21.2M | |
| 3 | General Automotive Repair | 15 | 3.4% | $10.5M | |
| 4 | Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels | 14 | 3.2% | $48.1M | |
| 5 | All Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 13 | 3.0% | $10.4M | |
| 6 | Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers | 12 | 2.8% | $9.6M | |
| 7 | Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars | 11 | 2.5% | $5.3M | |
| 8 | Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | 9 | 2.1% | $18.3M | |
| 9 | Home Health Care Services | 9 | 2.1% | $8.5M | |
| 10 | Janitorial Services | 9 | 2.1% | $3.4M |
Franchise brands bought in San Diego
| # | Franchise | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best Western | 3 | 0.7% | $11.6M | |
| 2 | SureStay | 3 | 0.7% | $8.4M | |
| 3 | The UPS Store | 3 | 0.7% | $1.5M | |
| 4 | Maaco | 2 | 0.5% | $2.9M | |
| 5 | Right at Home | 2 | 0.5% | $1.1M | |
| 6 | Servpro | 2 | 0.5% | $915K | |
| 7 | Merry Maids | 2 | 0.5% | $872K | |
| 8 | Club Pilates | 2 | 0.5% | $785K | |
| 9 | CertaPro Painters | 2 | 0.5% | $392K | |
| 10 | Comfort Inn | 1 | 0.2% | $5M | |
| 11 | Travelodge | 1 | 0.2% | $5M | |
| 12 | Motel 6 | 1 | 0.2% | $4.7M | |
| 13 | Americas Best Value Inn | 1 | 0.2% | $3.7M | |
| 14 | Comfort Keepers | 1 | 0.2% | $3M | |
| 15 | Amada Senior Care | 1 | 0.2% | $1.6M |
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San Diego acquisition loans by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 33 | $22.4M | $345,000 | |
| FY2019 | 42 | $35.6M | $477,400 | |
| FY2020 | 44 | $43.3M | $533,900 | |
| FY2021 | 44 | $46.2M | $561,000 | |
| FY2022 | 44 | $47.5M | $527,500 | |
| FY2023 | 50 | $54.9M | $577,500 | |
| FY2024 | 48 | $45.1M | $542,300 | |
| FY2025 | 78 | $93.8M | $800,000 | |
| FY2026 | 53 | $77.7M | $1,071,500 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Of the 163 the San Diego area acquisition loans approved from FY2018 to FY2021 (the seasoned cohort, every loan at least about five years old), 8 have been charged off by the SBA, a rate of 4.9% by loan count and 1.1% by dollars. 66 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 San Diego area is 39% 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 San Diego compares
| Measure | San Diego | California, all | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $546,000 | $600,000 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $270,750 to $1,323,975 | $296,225 to $1,395,000 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 8.09% | 7.87% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | 4.9% | 4.1% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 436 | 5,184 | 48,902 |
The median for San Diego-area acquisition loans is $546,000, slightly below the $600,000 median for all California acquisitions and below the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $270,750 to $1,323,975, 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 8.09%, above the 7.76% national average.
Seasoned loans were charged off at 4.9%, above the 4.1% rate for all California acquisitions and above the 3.5% rate for all acquisition loans.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | San Diego | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 33% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 34% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 17% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 16% | 17% |
Most San Diego-area acquisition loans (67%) 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
Live Oak Banking Company made 17% of San Diego-area acquisition loans, and the top three lenders together made 29%. 39 of the 89 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, 131 San Diego-area acquisition loans were approved. That is 34% more than the 98 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $843,000, well above the $546,000 median across all years.
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Counties in the San Diego 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 |
|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | 436 |
Questions buyers ask
How much do buyers borrow to buy a business in the San Diego area?
The median SBA 7(a) acquisition loan in the San Diego area was $546,000 across 436 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), 15% lower than the $645,250 national median. The middle half of loans ran from $270,750 to $1,323,975. 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 San Diego?
Live Oak Banking Company (76), CDC Small Business Finance Corp. (35), U.S. Bank, National Association (17), The Huntington National Bank (14), Zions Bancorporation, National Association (14). Live Oak Banking Company accounts for 17% of San Diego-area acquisition loans. See each lender page for industries and states served.
What kinds of businesses are bought with SBA loans in San Diego?
Full-Service Restaurants (22), Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (17), General Automotive Repair (15), Hotels and Motels (14), All Other Specialty Trade Contractors (13). Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded.
How often do SBA acquisition loans fail in San Diego?
In the seasoned cohort (FY2018 to FY2021), among 163 San Diego-area acquisition loans: 4.9% charged off, 39% higher than the 3.5% national acquisition average.
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Related
- All California acquisitions
- Full-Service Restaurants nationally
- Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors nationally
- General Automotive Repair nationally
- Live Oak Banking Company
- CDC Small Business Finance Corp.
- U.S. 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, "San Diego, CA: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/metro/san-diego (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/san-diego.json.