# Small business loans in Hawaii

**Short answer:** The most active SBA lenders in Hawaii since FY2024 are Central Pacific Bank (221 loans) and Readycap Lending, LLC (30). The median loan was $50,000, and half fell between $30,000 and $178,875. For free help, see the Hawaii SBDC. Source: SBA 7(a) loan data.

Canonical page: https://www.sbaexpress.loans/hawaii-small-business-loans/
Data as of: 2026-06-30
Last checked: 2026-11-09

## Lenders making SBA loans in Hawaii

Central Pacific Bank made the most loans in Hawaii, 50% of the total. The five largest lenders together made 74%.

40 lenders had at least one SBA loan approved in Hawaii since FY2024, and 12 of them had five or more. Those 12 are 10 banks and 2 non-bank lenders. Banks made 79% of the loans, non-bank lenders 10%.

**Lenders with the most SBA loans in Hawaii, FY2024 to June 2026**

| Lender | Loans | Median | Express |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Central Pacific Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/central-pacific-bank/) | 221 | $40,000 | 92.8% |
| [Readycap Lending, LLC](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/readycap-lending-llc/): Non-bank lender | 30 | $50,000 | 0.0% |
| [Northeast Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/northeast-bank/) | 29 | $115,500 | 0.0% |
| [Newtek Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/newtek-bank/) | 25 | $250,000 | 24.0% |
| [BayFirst National Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/bayfirst-national-bank/) | 23 | $150,000 | 0.0% |
| [Celtic Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/celtic-bank/) | 14 | $150,000 | 0.0% |
| [Lendistry SBLC, LLC](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/lendistry-sblc-llc/): Non-bank lender | 13 | $150,000 | 0.0% |
| First Hawaiian Bank | 11 | $75,000 | 72.7% |
| [Live Oak Banking Company](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/live-oak-banking-company/) | 11 | $500,000 | Fewer than 5 |
| Hawaii National Bank | 6 | $320,500 | 83.3% |
| [The Huntington National Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/the-huntington-national-bank/) | 6 | $487,350 | Fewer than 5 |
| [Commonwealth Business Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/commonwealth-business-bank/) | 5 | $300,000 | 0.0% |

Median is the lender's median loan. Express is the percent of its loans made through SBA Express. A line under a name gives the type of any lender that is not an active bank. Each name links to that lender's page for the state.

## Local help in Hawaii: SBA, SBDC and SCORE

Hawaii has an SBA district office, a Small Business Development Center network and SCORE mentors.

34% of Hawaii 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 Hawaii. Its page points to state and federal resources and to lenders in the area. 40 lenders had SBA loans approved in Hawaii since FY2024.

The SBA Hawaii District Office also serves Guam, American Samoa and other Pacific island territories.

- [SBA Hawaii District Office (Honolulu): SBA district office](https://www.sba.gov/district/hawaii)
- [Hawaii SBDC (University of Hawaii at Hilo): Small Business Development Center](https://hisbdc.org/)
- [SCORE mentors in Hawaii: Business mentoring](https://www.score.org/hi/)

## Loan programs in Hawaii

Two loan programs in Hawaii sit beside the 444 SBA loans above.

Two programs are confirmed on official pages. Each has its own eligibility rules, so read the official page before you apply.

- **[HI-CAP Collateral](https://gems.hawaii.gov/hawaii-small-business-capital-program-hi-cap/hi-cap-collateral/)**
The Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority places cash collateral with a participating lender when a small business or nonprofit lacks collateral for a loan. You apply through a participating lender listed on the program page, and the authority asks you to contact it about available funds. (Checked Nov 9, 2026.)
- **[HI-CAP CDFI Loan Program](https://gems.hawaii.gov/hawaii-small-business-capital-program-hi-cap/hi-cap-cdfi-loan-program/)**
The Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority lends capital to community development financial institutions, which re-lend it to eligible Hawaii small businesses. You apply directly with one of the participating CDFIs listed on the program page. (Checked Nov 9, 2026.)

## Loan counts and sizes in Hawaii

Hawaii ranks 46th among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico for SBA loans, with 0.3% of the 162,355 loans approved since FY2024.

The 444 loans were approved for $102.3 million in all. The median loan was $50,000, 67% below the national median of $150,300. Half of the loans fell between $30,000 and $178,875.

**Hawaii compared with the nation, loans from FY2024 to June 2026**

| Measure | Hawaii | U.S. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Loans | 444 | 162,355 |
| Median loan | $50,000 | $150,300 |
| 25th percentile | $30,000 | $50,000 |
| 75th percentile | $178,875 | $500,000 |
| Via SBA Express | 52.9% | 35.8% |
| Lines of credit | 20.9% | 28.1% |
| Startups | 5.0% | 16.1% |
| Ownership changes | 5.0% | 10.4% |
| Median term | 93 months | 10 years |
| Median spread | 3.0 | 2.75 |
| Charged off | 5.6% | 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.

91% of the loans were $500,000 or less, the size SBA Express covers. 52.9% of all loans went through SBA Express, above the national 35.8%. Lines of credit were 20.9% of loans, below the national 28.1%.

SBA loans in Hawaii by size, FY2024 to June 2026

- $50,000 or less (56%): 247
- $50,001 to $150,000 (18%): 79
- $150,001 to $350,000 (13%): 59
- $350,001 to $500,000 (4%): 18
- $500,001 to $1,000,000 (5%): 20
- $1,000,001 to $2,000,000 (2%): 10
- Over $2,000,000 (2%): 11

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

By business age, 61.0% of loans went to businesses more than two years old and 29.1% to businesses two years old or younger. Startups received 5.0% and changes of ownership 5.0%. The national startup share is 16.1%.

SBA loans in Hawaii by fiscal year

- FY2020: 66
- FY2021: 101
- FY2022: 103
- FY2023: 145
- FY2024: 196
- FY2025: 185
- FY2026 (through June 30): 63

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

Volume fell 6% from FY2024 (196 loans) to FY2025 (185), the two latest full years. The busiest full year in the file was FY2024, with 196 loans. FY2026 already shows 63 loans through June 30.

Of the 270 loans Hawaii borrowers received in FY2020 to FY2022, 5.6% were charged off by June 30, 2026, against 3.6% nationally. Lenders reported 3,408 jobs supported across the 444 loans since FY2024, about 7.7 per loan. SBA does not audit these estimates.

## What businesses in Hawaii borrow for

Full-Service Restaurants was the largest borrower group in Hawaii, with 31 loans or 7.0% of the total.

The five largest industries made up 21% of all Hawaii loans.

**Industries with the most SBA loans in Hawaii, FY2024 to June 2026**

| Industry | Loans | Share | U.S. share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Full-Service Restaurants](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/full-service-restaurants/hawaii/) | 31 | 7.0% | 4.6% |
| [Limited-Service Restaurants](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/limited-service-restaurants/) | 21 | 4.7% | 3.3% |
| [Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/snack-nonalcoholic-beverage-bars/) | 16 | 3.6% | 1.6% |
| [Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/plumbing-heating-air-conditioning-contractors/) | 13 | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| [All Other Specialty Trade Contractors](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/all-other-specialty-trade-contractors/) | 11 | 2.5% | 1.7% |

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

## Cities in Hawaii with SBA loan pages

One Hawaii city has 100 or more SBA loans in the file, and it has its own page.

[Honolulu](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/hawaii-small-business-loans/honolulu/) (149 loans) accounts for 34% of Hawaii's loans since FY2024.

- [Honolulu: 149 loans, median $50,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/hawaii-small-business-loans/honolulu/)

## A typical loan payment in Hawaii

The median Hawaii loan was $50,000 with a median term of 93 months.

The median variable-rate loan in Hawaii was priced at Prime plus 3.0 percentage points at approval. At today's Prime that spread works out to 10.00%. On $50,000 over 93 months, principal and interest would come to about $775 a month. That is arithmetic on past loans, not a rate a lender is offering.

**Payment at today's rate on three Hawaii loan sizes over 93 months**

| Loan | Amount | Monthly payment |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 25th percentile loan | $30,000 | $465 |
| Median loan | $50,000 | $775 |
| 75th percentile loan | $178,875 | $2,772 |

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 $50,000 is Prime plus 6.5 percentage points, or 13.50% today. The median variable-rate loan here was priced 3.5 points under that ceiling. Source: 13 CFR § 120.214(d)(1); SOP 50 10 8.1, App. 18, Para. A.2 (p. 395).

Hawaii loans approved since FY2024 had a median starting rate of 10.75% 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 $50,000 loan](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/loan-amounts/50000-business-loan/) and [SBA Express payment calculator](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-payment-calculator/).

## SBA 504 loans and Certified Development Companies in Hawaii

Hawaii has 49 SBA 504 loans since FY2024, with $53.4 million in SBA and CDC dollars.

The median 504 loan in Hawaii was $740,000 in SBA and CDC dollars, 15% of the $5,000,000 program maximum. The bank's share of each project is separate and is not counted in these figures.

HEDCO Local Development Corporation is the Certified Development Company (CDC) named on the most loans since FY2024, with 24. Mortgage Capital Development Corporation follows with 22. The two CDCs listed are named on 46 loans between them.

**CDCs named on five or more 504 loans in Hawaii, FY2024 to June 2026**

| Certified Development Company | 504 loans |
| --- | --- |
| HEDCO Local Development Corporation | 24 |
| Mortgage Capital Development Corporation | 22 |

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/).

## Common questions about SBA loans in Hawaii

### Which lenders make the most SBA loans in Hawaii?

Central Pacific Bank leads with 221 loans in Hawaii since FY2024. Readycap Lending, LLC (30) and Northeast Bank (29) follow. 12 lenders had five or more loans approved.

### Do startups get SBA loans in Hawaii?

22 loans to startups were approved in Hawaii since FY2024, 5.0% of the total. The file lists approvals only, so it cannot show how many startups applied or were turned down.

### Does Hawaii have its own small business loan program?

HI-CAP Collateral and HI-CAP CDFI Loan Program are confirmed on official pages. The loan programs section above has the details.

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. 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 Hawaii District Office (Honolulu)](https://www.sba.gov/district/hawaii)
- [Hawaii SBDC (University of Hawaii at Hilo)](https://hisbdc.org/)
- [SCORE, Hawaii](https://www.score.org/hi/)
- [HI-CAP Collateral](https://gems.hawaii.gov/hawaii-small-business-capital-program-hi-cap/hi-cap-collateral/)
- [HI-CAP CDFI Loan Program](https://gems.hawaii.gov/hawaii-small-business-capital-program-hi-cap/hi-cap-cdfi-loan-program/)
- [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)(1); SOP 50 10 8.1, App. 18, Para. A.2 (p. 395)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-120.214)