# Small business loans in Little Rock, AR

**Short answer:** The most active SBA lenders in Little Rock, AR since FY2024 are U.S. Bank (13 loans) and Southern Bancorp Bank (10). The median loan was $277,250, and half fell between $128,750 and $860,000. For free help, see the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center. Source: SBA 7(a) loan data.

Canonical page: https://www.sbaexpress.loans/arkansas-small-business-loans/little-rock/
Data as of: 2026-06-30

## Lenders making SBA loans in Little Rock

No lender made more than 18% of the loans in Little Rock, and U.S. Bank made the most.

**Lenders with five or more SBA loans in Little Rock, AR, FY2024 to June 2026**

| Lender | Loans | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [U.S. Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/u-s-bank/arkansas/) | 13 | 18.1% |
| [Southern Bancorp Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/southern-bancorp-bank/) | 10 | 13.9% |

Share is the percent of all Little Rock loans in that period. Each name links to that lender's page for Arkansas where one exists.

Little Rock has two lenders with five or more loans since FY2024. Others had fewer, and the Arkansas page counts 97 lenders with at least one approved loan statewide.

## Local help near Little Rock

Little Rock borrowers can start with SBA's district office for Arkansas, an SBDC or SCORE.

37.5% of Little Rock borrowers since FY2024 were startups or businesses two years old or younger. SBDCs provide counseling and training, and SCORE mentors give advice at no cost, according to SBA.

SBA has one district office for Arkansas. Its page points to state and federal resources and to lenders in the area. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center gives free counseling across Arkansas.

- [SBA Arkansas District Office (Little Rock): SBA district office](https://www.sba.gov/district/arkansas)
- [Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center: Small Business Development Center](https://asbtdc.org/)
- [SCORE mentors in Arkansas: Business mentoring](https://www.score.org/ar/)

Alongside SBA loans, Arkansas runs a loan program. The [Arkansas page](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/arkansas-small-business-loans/#loan-programs-in-arkansas) describes it, and the official page is linked here.

- [Arkansas Small Business Revolving Loan Guaranty Program](https://adfa.arkansas.gov/programs/arkansas-small-business-revolving-loan-guaranty-program/)

## Loan counts and sizes in Little Rock

Little Rock is the only Arkansas city with 100 or more SBA loans since FY2020. Nationally it is the 336th busiest of the 580 cities that reach 100 loans.

The 72 loans, 9.2% of the 781 in Arkansas, were approved for $48.7 million in all. The median loan was $277,250, 84% above the national median of $150,300. Half of the loans fell between $128,750 and $860,000. The Little Rock median is 11% above the Arkansas median of $250,000.

**Little Rock, AR compared with Arkansas and the nation, loans from FY2024 to June 2026**

| Measure | Little Rock | Arkansas | U.S. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Loans | 72 | 781 | 162,355 |
| Median loan | $277,250 | $250,000 | $150,300 |
| 25th percentile | $128,750 | $85,500 | $50,000 |
| 75th percentile | $860,000 | $718,600 | $500,000 |
| Via SBA Express | 33.3% | 24.6% | 35.8% |
| Lines of credit | 23.6% | 15.6% | 28.1% |
| Startups | 22.2% | 27.5% | 16.1% |
| Ownership changes | 8.3% | 12.8% | 10.4% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Median spread | 2.12 | 2.49 | 2.75 |
| Charged off | Fewer than 5 | 2.2% | 3.6% |

A quarter of loans were smaller than the 25th percentile loan and a quarter were larger than the 75th. Median spread is in percentage points over Prime. Charged off is the share of FY2020 to FY2022 loans a lender wrote off as a loss. It is shown only for groups of 30 loans or more. Fewer than 5 marks a share that would stand for 1 to 4 loans, which we do not publish. U.S. covers every loan in the file.

33.3% of all loans went through SBA Express, close to the national 35.8%. Lines of credit were 23.6% of loans, below the national 28.1%.

SBA loans in Little Rock, AR by size, FY2024 to June 2026

- $50,000 or less (19%): 14
- $50,001 to $150,000 (19%): 14
- $150,001 to $350,000 (18%): 13
- $350,001 to $500,000: Fewer than 5
- $500,001 to $1,000,000 (17%): 12
- $1,000,001 to $2,000,000 (12%): 9
- Over $2,000,000 (8%): 6

Labels show each size's share of all loans. The highlighted bar is the size band that contains the median.

By business age, 54.2% of loans went to businesses more than two years old and 15.3% to businesses two years old or younger. Startups received 22.2% and changes of ownership 8.3%. The national startup share is 16.1%.

SBA loans in Little Rock, AR by fiscal year

- FY2020: 19
- FY2021: 16
- FY2022: 28
- FY2023: 29
- FY2024: 21
- FY2025: 23
- FY2026 (through June 30): 28

Fiscal years run October to September. The last bar covers nine of its twelve months.

Volume rose 10% from FY2024 (21 loans) to FY2025 (23), the two latest full years. The busiest full year in the file was FY2023, with 29 loans. FY2026 already shows 28 loans through June 30.

Of the 63 loans Little Rock borrowers received in FY2020 to FY2022, fewer than 5 were charged off by June 30, 2026, against 3.6% nationally. Lenders reported 735 jobs supported across the 72 loans since FY2024, about 10.2 per loan. SBA does not audit these estimates.

## What businesses in Little Rock borrow for

Full-Service Restaurants was the largest borrower group in Little Rock since FY2020, with 10 loans or 6.1% of the total.

The five largest industries made up 20% of all Little Rock loans since FY2020.

**Industries with the most SBA loans in Little Rock, AR, FY2020 to June 2026**

| Industry | Loans | Share | U.S. share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Full-Service Restaurants](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/full-service-restaurants/) | 10 | 6.1% | 4.6% |
| [Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/hotels-motels/) | 7 | 4.3% | 1.1% |
| [Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/beer-wine-liquor-retailers/) | 5 | 3.0% | 0.9% |
| [Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/fitness-recreational-sports-centers/) | 5 | 3.0% | 2.1% |
| [Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/hobby-toy-game-retailers/) | 5 | 3.0% | 0.3% |

Share is the percent of all Little Rock loans in that period. Industry is the NAICS code on each loan. A name links to the Arkansas page for that industry where one exists.

## A typical loan payment in Little Rock

The median Little Rock loan was $277,250 with a median term of 10 years.

The median variable-rate loan in Little Rock was priced at Prime plus 2.12 percentage points at approval. At today's Prime that spread works out to 9.12%. On $277,250 over 10 years, principal and interest would come to about $3,530 a month. That is arithmetic on past loans, not a rate a lender is offering.

**Payment at today's rate on three Little Rock loan sizes over 10 years**

| Loan | Amount | Monthly payment |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 25th percentile loan | $128,750 | $1,639 |
| Median loan | $277,250 | $3,530 |
| 75th percentile loan | $860,000 | $10,950 |

Principal and interest only. Fees, a different term or a fixed rate change the payment. This is an illustration from SBA's file, not an offer.

SBA's rate ceiling for this loan size

SBA's maximum for a loan of $277,250 is Prime plus 4.5 percentage points, or 11.50% today. The median variable-rate loan here was priced 2.4 points under that ceiling. Source: 13 CFR § 120.214(d)(3); SOP 50 10 8.1, App. 18, Para. A.2 (p. 395).

Little Rock loans approved since FY2024 had a median starting rate of 9.5% at approval, against 10.25% nationally. Prime changed during those years, so use the spread above, not that rate, as the guide to today's cost.

Run your own numbers: [payments on a $300,000 loan](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/loan-amounts/300000-business-loan/) and [SBA Express payment calculator](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-payment-calculator/).

## SBA 504 loans near Little Rock

Little Rock has 7 SBA 504 loans since FY2024, with $6.2 million in SBA and CDC dollars.

The median 504 loan in Little Rock was $493,000 in SBA and CDC dollars, 10% of the $5,000,000 program maximum. The bank's share of each project is separate and is not counted in these figures.

Rural Missouri, Inc. is the one Certified Development Company (CDC) named on five or more loans, 10 since FY2020.

**CDCs named on five or more 504 loans in Little Rock, FY2020 to June 2026**

| Certified Development Company | 504 loans |
| --- | --- |
| Rural Missouri, Inc. | 10 |

How a 504 loan is split

A standard 504 project is 50% third party lender, 40% CDC debenture, 10% borrower. 504 money pays for major fixed assets such as land, buildings and long-term machinery and equipment, not working capital or inventory. Source: SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. C, Ch. 1, Para. B (p. 221). SBA keeps a [list of Certified Development Companies](https://www.sba.gov/loans/504-loans/list-of-certified-development-companies/).

## Little Rock in Arkansas

Little Rock made up 9.2% of Arkansas's SBA loans since FY2024.

Little Rock is the only Arkansas city with 100 or more SBA loans since FY2020. The [Arkansas page](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/arkansas-small-business-loans/) covers all 781 loans in Arkansas.

## Common questions about SBA loans in Little Rock

### Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Little Rock?

U.S. Bank leads with 13 loans in Little Rock since FY2024. Southern Bancorp Bank (10) follows. Only lenders with five or more Little Rock loans are counted.

### Which industries get SBA loans in Little Rock?

Full-Service Restaurants leads with 10 loans in Little Rock since FY2020. Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (7) and Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (5) follow.

How to read this

Counts come from SBA's 7(a) loan-level data release, as of June 30, 2026. The file lists loans SBA approved. It does not list declined applications, so it cannot show approval odds. We do not publish any figure built on fewer than 5 loans. Location is the borrower's address in the file, and city names are as SBA recorded them. Recent means FY2024 through June 30, 2026. Charge-off rates use FY2020 to FY2022 loans, the only years old enough to have had time to go bad. Jobs supported are lender-reported estimates. [How we build these pages](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/method/).

## Sources

- [SBA 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan-level data, as of June 30, 2026](https://data.sba.gov/dataset/7a-504-foia)
- [SBA, 504 loans](https://www.sba.gov/loans/504-loans/)
- [SBA, resource partners: SBDCs and SCORE](https://www.sba.gov/counseling/local-assistance/resource-partners/)
- [SBA Arkansas District Office (Little Rock)](https://www.sba.gov/district/arkansas)
- [Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center](https://asbtdc.org/)
- [SCORE, Arkansas](https://www.score.org/ar/)
- [SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. C, Ch. 1, Para. D.1 (p. 241); 13 CFR § 120.931](https://legacy.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/SOP%2050%2010%208.1%20Technical%20Policy%20Updates%20effective%20%2010.1.2026.docx)
- [SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. C, Ch. 1, Para. B (p. 221)](https://legacy.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/SOP%2050%2010%208.1%20Technical%20Policy%20Updates%20effective%20%2010.1.2026.docx)
- [sba.gov/loans/504-loans; SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. A, Ch. 3, Para. A (p. 51)](https://www.sba.gov/loans/504-loans/)
- [SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. B, Ch. 2, Para. B.1 (p. 126)](https://legacy.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/SOP%2050%2010%208.1%20Technical%20Policy%20Updates%20effective%20%2010.1.2026.docx)
- [13 CFR § 120.214(d)(3); SOP 50 10 8.1, App. 18, Para. A.2 (p. 395)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-120.214)