# Small business loans in Baltimore, MD

**Short answer:** The most active SBA lenders in Baltimore, MD since FY2024 are M&T Bank (118 loans) and Readycap Lending, LLC (16). The median loan was $141,500, and half fell between $50,000 and $350,000. For free help, see the Maryland Small Business Development Center. Source: SBA 7(a) loan data.

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

## Lenders making SBA loans in Baltimore

M&T Bank made the most loans in Baltimore, 41% of the total. The five largest lenders together made 57%.

**Lenders with five or more SBA loans in Baltimore, MD, FY2024 to June 2026**

| Lender | Loans | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [M&T Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/m-and-t-bank/) | 118 | 41.0% |
| [Readycap Lending, LLC](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/readycap-lending-llc/): Non-bank lender | 16 | 5.6% |
| [BayFirst National Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/bayfirst-national-bank/) | 11 | 3.8% |
| [Newtek Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/newtek-bank/) | 10 | 3.5% |
| [Northeast Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/northeast-bank/) | 9 | 3.1% |

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

## Local help near Baltimore

Baltimore borrowers can start with SBA's district offices for Maryland, an SBDC or SCORE.

30% of Baltimore 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 runs two district offices that cover Maryland. Each page points to state and federal resources and to lenders in its area. The Maryland Small Business Development Center gives free counseling across Maryland. The SBA Baltimore District Office (Baltimore City and every county except Montgomery and Prince George's) comes first below because its name matches Baltimore.

- [SBA Baltimore District Office (Baltimore City and every county except Montgomery and Prince George's): SBA district office](https://www.sba.gov/district/baltimore)
- [SBA Washington Metropolitan Area District Office (Montgomery and Prince George's counties): SBA district office](https://www.sba.gov/district/washington-metropolitan)
- [Maryland Small Business Development Center: Small Business Development Center](https://www.marylandsbdc.org/)
- [SCORE mentors in Maryland: Business mentoring](https://www.score.org/md/)

Alongside SBA loans, Maryland runs three loan programs. The [Maryland page](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/#loan-programs-in-maryland) describes each, and the official pages are linked here.

- [Small Business Companion Loans](https://dhcd.maryland.gov/business-development/business-lending/small-business-companion-loans)
- [Own Your Future: Property Acquisition for Small Business](https://dhcd.maryland.gov/business-development/business-lending/own-your-future)
- [Maryland Small Business Development Financing Authority](https://commerce.maryland.gov/financial-incentives/loans-financing/msbdfa)

## Loan counts and sizes in Baltimore

Baltimore ranks 1st by loans since FY2024 among the 9 Maryland cities with 100 or more SBA loans since FY2020. Nationally it is the 44th busiest of the 580 cities that reach 100 loans.

The 288 loans, 9.4% of the 3,058 in Maryland, were approved for $110.2 million in all. The median loan was $141,500, 6% below the national median of $150,300. Half of the loans fell between $50,000 and $350,000. The Baltimore median is 13% above the Maryland median of $125,000.

**Baltimore, MD compared with Maryland and the nation, loans from FY2024 to June 2026**

| Measure | Baltimore | Maryland | U.S. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Loans | 288 | 3,058 | 162,355 |
| Median loan | $141,500 | $125,000 | $150,300 |
| 25th percentile | $50,000 | $45,000 | $50,000 |
| 75th percentile | $350,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 |
| Via SBA Express | 40.6% | 46.7% | 35.8% |
| Lines of credit | 33.7% | 34.0% | 28.1% |
| Startups | 15.6% | 18.7% | 16.1% |
| Ownership changes | 10.1% | 8.4% | 10.4% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Median spread | 2.75 | 3.0 | 2.75 |
| Charged off | 7.6% | 6.4% | 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.

85% of the loans were $500,000 or less, the size SBA Express covers. 40.6% of all loans went through SBA Express, above the national 35.8%. Lines of credit were 33.7% of loans, above the national 28.1%.

SBA loans in Baltimore, MD by size, FY2024 to June 2026

- $50,000 or less (30%): 86
- $50,001 to $150,000 (29%): 84
- $150,001 to $350,000 (17%): 49
- $350,001 to $500,000 (9%): 27
- $500,001 to $1,000,000 (5%): 13
- $1,000,001 to $2,000,000 (6%): 16
- Over $2,000,000 (5%): 13

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

By business age, 60.1% of loans went to businesses more than two years old and 14.2% to businesses two years old or younger. Startups received 15.6% and changes of ownership 10.1%.

SBA loans in Baltimore, MD by fiscal year

- FY2020: 72
- FY2021: 70
- FY2022: 81
- FY2023: 100
- FY2024: 106
- FY2025: 108
- FY2026 (through June 30): 74

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

Volume held steady from FY2024 (106 loans) to FY2025 (108), the two latest full years. The busiest full year in the file was FY2025, with 108 loans. FY2026 already shows 74 loans through June 30.

Of the 223 loans Baltimore borrowers received in FY2020 to FY2022, 7.6% were charged off by June 30, 2026, against 3.6% nationally. Lenders reported 3,237 jobs supported across the 288 loans since FY2024, about 11.2 per loan. SBA does not audit these estimates.

## What businesses in Baltimore borrow for

Full-Service Restaurants was the largest borrower group in Baltimore, with 26 loans or 9.0% of the total.

The five largest industries made up 23% of all Baltimore loans. Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers stands out: its 14 loans are 4.9% of Baltimore loans, against 0.9% nationally, 5.2 times its national share.

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

| Industry | Loans | Share | U.S. share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Full-Service Restaurants](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/full-service-restaurants/maryland/) | 26 | 9.0% | 4.6% |
| [Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/beer-wine-liquor-retailers/) | 14 | 4.9% | 0.9% |
| [Limited-Service Restaurants](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/limited-service-restaurants/maryland/) | 11 | 3.8% | 3.3% |
| [Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/offices-of-mental-health-practitioners/) | 8 | 2.8% | 0.8% |
| [Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/administrative-management-general-management-consulting-services/) | 7 | 2.4% | 0.9% |

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

## A typical loan payment in Baltimore

The median Baltimore loan was $141,500 with a median term of 10 years.

The median variable-rate loan in Baltimore was priced at Prime plus 2.75 percentage points at approval. At today's Prime that spread works out to 9.75%. On $141,500 over 10 years, principal and interest would come to about $1,850 a month. That is arithmetic on past loans, not a rate a lender is offering.

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

| Loan | Amount | Monthly payment |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 25th percentile loan | $50,000 | $654 |
| Median loan | $141,500 | $1,850 |
| 75th percentile loan | $350,000 | $4,577 |

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 $141,500 is Prime plus 6.0 percentage points, or 13.00% today. The median variable-rate loan here was priced 3.2 points under that ceiling. Source: 13 CFR § 120.214(d)(2); SOP 50 10 8.1, App. 18, Para. A.2 (p. 395).

Baltimore 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 $150,000 loan](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/loan-amounts/150000-business-loan/) and [SBA Express payment calculator](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-payment-calculator/).

## SBA 504 loans near Baltimore

Baltimore has 11 SBA 504 loans since FY2024, with $15.6 million in SBA and CDC dollars.

The median 504 loan in Baltimore was $861,000 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.

Business Finance Group, Inc. is the one Certified Development Company (CDC) named on five or more loans, 15 since FY2020.

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

| Certified Development Company | 504 loans |
| --- | --- |
| Business Finance Group, Inc. | 15 |

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/).

## Maryland cities near Baltimore

Baltimore made up 9.4% of Maryland's SBA loans since FY2024.

Baltimore is one of 9 Maryland cities with 100 or more SBA loans since FY2020. The [Maryland page](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/) covers all 3,058 loans in Maryland. The closest come first, ranked by county and ZIP code on their loans.

- [Annapolis: 61 loans, median $150,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/annapolis/)
- [Columbia: 117 loans, median $150,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/columbia/)
- [Silver Spring: 93 loans, median $100,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/silver-spring/)
- [Gaithersburg: 95 loans, median $195,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/gaithersburg/)
- [Rockville: 103 loans, median $150,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/rockville/)
- [Frederick: 122 loans, median $131,850](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/frederick/)
- [Bowie: 63 loans, median $150,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/bowie/)
- [Laurel: 75 loans, median $150,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/laurel/)

## Common questions about SBA loans in Baltimore

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

M&T Bank leads with 118 loans in Baltimore since FY2024. Readycap Lending, LLC (16) and BayFirst National Bank (11) follow. Only lenders with five or more Baltimore loans are counted.

### Which industries get SBA loans in Baltimore?

Full-Service Restaurants leads with 26 loans in Baltimore since FY2024. Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (14) and Limited-Service Restaurants (11) 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 Baltimore District Office (Baltimore City and every county except Montgomery and Prince George's)](https://www.sba.gov/district/baltimore)
- [SBA Washington Metropolitan Area District Office (Montgomery and Prince George's counties)](https://www.sba.gov/district/washington-metropolitan)
- [Maryland Small Business Development Center](https://www.marylandsbdc.org/)
- [SCORE, Maryland](https://www.score.org/md/)
- [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)