# Small business loans in Lafayette, IN

**Short answer:** The most active SBA lenders in Lafayette, IN since FY2024 are Centier Bank (8 loans) and First Merchants Bank (8). The median loan was $100,000, and half fell between $50,000 and $325,000. For free help, see the Indiana Small Business Development Center. Source: SBA 7(a) loan data.

Canonical page: https://www.sbaexpress.loans/indiana-small-business-loans/lafayette/
Data as of: 2026-06-30

## Lenders making SBA loans in Lafayette

No lender made more than 21% of the loans in Lafayette, and Centier Bank made the most. The three largest lenders together made 62%.

**Lenders with five or more SBA loans in Lafayette, IN, FY2024 to June 2026**

| Lender | Loans | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Centier Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/centier-bank/) | 8 | 20.5% |
| [First Merchants Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/first-merchants-bank/indiana/) | 8 | 20.5% |
| [The Huntington National Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/the-huntington-national-bank/indiana/) | 8 | 20.5% |

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

Lafayette has three lenders with five or more loans since FY2024. Others had fewer, and the Indiana page counts 171 lenders with at least one approved loan statewide.

## Local help near Lafayette

Lafayette borrowers can start with SBA's district office for Indiana, an SBDC or SCORE.

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

- [SBA Indiana District Office (Indianapolis): SBA district office](https://www.sba.gov/district/indiana)
- [Indiana Small Business Development Center: Small Business Development Center](https://isbdc.org/)
- [SCORE mentors in Indiana: Business mentoring](https://www.score.org/in/)

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

- [Legend Fund](https://www.iedc.in.gov/ssbci/start-today)

## Loan counts and sizes in Lafayette

Lafayette ranks 9th by loans since FY2024 among the 10 Indiana cities with 100 or more SBA loans since FY2020. Nationally it is the 570th busiest of the 580 cities that reach 100 loans.

The 39 loans, 1.4% of the 2,869 in Indiana, were approved for $14.9 million in all. The median loan was $100,000, 33% below the national median of $150,300. Half of the loans fell between $50,000 and $325,000. The Lafayette median is 33% below the Indiana median of $150,000.

**Lafayette, IN compared with Indiana and the nation, loans from FY2024 to June 2026**

| Measure | Lafayette | Indiana | U.S. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Loans | 39 | 2,869 | 162,355 |
| Median loan | $100,000 | $150,000 | $150,300 |
| 25th percentile | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| 75th percentile | $325,000 | $406,200 | $500,000 |
| Via SBA Express | 53.8% | 37.3% | 35.8% |
| Lines of credit | 51.3% | 31.3% | 28.1% |
| Startups | n/a | 18.6% | 16.1% |
| Ownership changes | n/a | 12.1% | 10.4% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Median spread | 2.5 | 2.25 | 2.75 |
| Charged off | Fewer than 5 | 2.0% | 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.

53.8% of all loans went through SBA Express, above the national 35.8%. Lines of credit were 51.3% of loans, above the national 28.1%.

SBA loans in Lafayette, IN by size, FY2024 to June 2026

- $50,000 or less (36%): 14
- $50,001 to $150,000 (28%): 11
- $150,001 to $350,000 (15%): 6
- $350,001 to $500,000: Fewer than 5
- $500,001 to $1,000,000: Fewer than 5
- $1,000,001 to $2,000,000: Fewer than 5
- Over $2,000,000: Fewer than 5

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

SBA loans in Lafayette, IN by fiscal year

- FY2020: 10
- FY2021: 18
- FY2022: 25
- FY2023: 28
- FY2024: 12
- FY2025: 19
- FY2026 (through June 30): 8

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

Volume rose 58% from FY2024 (12 loans) to FY2025 (19), the two latest full years. The busiest full year in the file was FY2023, with 28 loans. FY2026 already shows 8 loans through June 30.

Of the 53 loans Lafayette borrowers received in FY2020 to FY2022, fewer than 5 were charged off by June 30, 2026, against 3.6% nationally. Lenders reported 293 jobs supported across the 39 loans since FY2024, about 7.5 per loan. SBA does not audit these estimates.

## What businesses in Lafayette borrow for

General Freight Trucking, Local was the largest borrower group in Lafayette since FY2020, with 7 loans or 5.8% of the total.

The five largest industries made up 23% of all Lafayette loans since FY2020.

**Industries with the most SBA loans in Lafayette, IN, FY2020 to June 2026**

| Industry | Loans | Share | U.S. share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [General Freight Trucking, Local](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/general-freight-trucking-local/indiana/) | 7 | 5.8% | 1.1% |
| [Residential Remodelers](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/residential-remodelers/) | 6 | 5.0% | 2.3% |
| [All Other Specialty Trade Contractors](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/all-other-specialty-trade-contractors/) | 5 | 4.2% | 1.7% |
| [Full-Service Restaurants](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/full-service-restaurants/) | 5 | 4.2% | 4.6% |
| [Graphic Design Services](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/graphic-design-services/) | 5 | 4.2% | 0.1% |

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

## A typical loan payment in Lafayette

The median Lafayette loan was $100,000 with a median term of 10 years.

The median variable-rate loan in Lafayette was priced at Prime plus 2.5 percentage points at approval. At today's Prime that spread works out to 9.50%. On $100,000 over 10 years, principal and interest would come to about $1,294 a month. That is arithmetic on past loans, not a rate a lender is offering.

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

| Loan | Amount | Monthly payment |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 25th percentile loan | $50,000 | $647 |
| Median loan | $100,000 | $1,294 |
| 75th percentile loan | $325,000 | $4,205 |

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 $100,000 is Prime plus 6.0 percentage points, or 13.00% today. The median variable-rate loan here was priced 3.5 points under that ceiling. Source: 13 CFR § 120.214(d)(2); SOP 50 10 8.1, App. 18, Para. A.2 (p. 395).

Lafayette loans approved since FY2024 had a median starting rate of 10.25% at approval, matching the national median. 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 $100,000 loan](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/loan-amounts/100000-business-loan/) and [SBA Express payment calculator](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-payment-calculator/).

## SBA 504 loans near Lafayette

Lafayette has 12 SBA 504 loans since FY2024, with $13.5 million in SBA and CDC dollars.

The median 504 loan in Lafayette was $847,500 in SBA and CDC dollars, 17% of the $5,000,000 program maximum. The bank's share of each project is separate and is not counted in these figures.

Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corporation is the one Certified Development Company (CDC) named on five or more loans, 16 since FY2020.

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

| Certified Development Company | 504 loans |
| --- | --- |
| Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corporation | 16 |

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/).

## Indiana cities near Lafayette

Lafayette made up 1.4% of Indiana's SBA loans since FY2024.

Lafayette is one of 10 Indiana cities with 100 or more SBA loans since FY2020. The [Indiana page](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/indiana-small-business-loans/) covers all 2,869 loans in Indiana. The closest come first, ranked by county and ZIP code on their loans.

- [Evansville: 92 loans, median $196,500](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/indiana-small-business-loans/evansville/)
- [Fort Wayne: 148 loans, median $175,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/indiana-small-business-loans/fort-wayne/)
- [South Bend: 32 loans, median $254,500](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/indiana-small-business-loans/south-bend/)
- [Indianapolis: 601 loans, median $140,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/indiana-small-business-loans/indianapolis/)
- [Greenwood: 70 loans, median $100,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/indiana-small-business-loans/greenwood/)
- [Avon: 41 loans, median $108,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/indiana-small-business-loans/avon/)
- [Noblesville: 66 loans, median $165,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/indiana-small-business-loans/noblesville/)
- [Fishers: 110 loans, median $150,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/indiana-small-business-loans/fishers/)

## Common questions about SBA loans in Lafayette

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

Centier Bank leads with 8 loans in Lafayette since FY2024. First Merchants Bank (8) and The Huntington National Bank (8) follow. Only lenders with five or more Lafayette loans are counted.

### Which industries get SBA loans in Lafayette?

General Freight Trucking, Local leads with 7 loans in Lafayette since FY2020. Residential Remodelers (6) and All Other Specialty Trade Contractors (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 Indiana District Office (Indianapolis)](https://www.sba.gov/district/indiana)
- [Indiana Small Business Development Center](https://isbdc.org/)
- [SCORE, Indiana](https://www.score.org/in/)
- [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)(2); SOP 50 10 8.1, App. 18, Para. A.2 (p. 395)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-120.214)