# Small business loans in Columbia, MD

**Short answer:** The most active SBA lenders in Columbia, MD since FY2024 are M&T Bank (45 loans) and Newtek Bank (10). The median loan was $150,000, and half fell between $50,000 and $414,000. 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/columbia/
Data as of: 2026-06-30

## Lenders making SBA loans in Columbia

M&T Bank made the most loans in Columbia, 38% of the total. The five largest lenders together made 61%.

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

| Lender | Loans | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [M&T Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/m-and-t-bank/) | 45 | 38.5% |
| [Newtek Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/newtek-bank/) | 10 | 8.5% |
| [BayFirst National Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/bayfirst-national-bank/) | 6 | 5.1% |
| [Fulton Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/fulton-bank/) | 5 | 4.3% |
| [Live Oak Banking Company](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/live-oak-banking-company/) | 5 | 4.3% |

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

## Local help near Columbia

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

46% of Columbia 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.

- [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 Columbia

Columbia ranks 3rd by loans since FY2024 among the 9 Maryland cities with 100 or more SBA loans since FY2020. Nationally it is the 164th busiest of the 580 cities that reach 100 loans.

The 117 loans, 3.8% of the 3,058 in Maryland, were approved for $47.8 million in all. The median loan was $150,000, close to the national median of $150,300. Half of the loans fell between $50,000 and $414,000. The Columbia median is 20% above the Maryland median of $125,000.

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

| Measure | Columbia | Maryland | U.S. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Loans | 117 | 3,058 | 162,355 |
| Median loan | $150,000 | $125,000 | $150,300 |
| 25th percentile | $50,000 | $45,000 | $50,000 |
| 75th percentile | $414,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 |
| Via SBA Express | 38.5% | 46.7% | 35.8% |
| Lines of credit | 26.5% | 34.0% | 28.1% |
| Startups | 17.9% | 18.7% | 16.1% |
| Ownership changes | 8.5% | 8.4% | 10.4% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Median spread | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.75 |
| Charged off | 0.0% | 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.

80% of the loans were $500,000 or less, the size SBA Express covers. 38.5% of all loans went through SBA Express, close to the national 35.8%. Lines of credit were 26.5% of loans, close to the national 28.1%.

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

- $50,000 or less (28%): 33
- $50,001 to $150,000 (31%): 36
- $150,001 to $350,000 (14%): 16
- $350,001 to $500,000 (8%): 9
- $500,001 to $1,000,000 (11%): 13
- $1,000,001 to $2,000,000 (5%): 6
- 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.

By business age, 45.3% of loans went to businesses more than two years old and 28.2% to businesses two years old or younger. Startups received 17.9% and changes of ownership 8.5%. The national startup share is 16.1%.

SBA loans in Columbia, MD by fiscal year

- FY2020: 25
- FY2021: 31
- FY2022: 18
- FY2023: 21
- FY2024: 39
- FY2025: 45
- FY2026 (through June 30): 33

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

Volume rose 15% from FY2024 (39 loans) to FY2025 (45), the two latest full years. The busiest full year in the file was FY2025, with 45 loans. FY2026 already shows 33 loans through June 30.

Of the 74 loans Columbia borrowers received in FY2020 to FY2022, 0.0% were charged off by June 30, 2026, against 3.6% nationally. That group is small, so treat the rate as rough. Lenders reported 1,094 jobs supported across the 117 loans since FY2024, about 9.4 per loan. SBA does not audit these estimates.

## What businesses in Columbia borrow for

Full-Service Restaurants was the largest borrower group in Columbia, with 8 loans or 6.8% of the total.

The three largest industries made up 18% of all Columbia loans.

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

| Industry | Loans | Share | U.S. share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Full-Service Restaurants](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/full-service-restaurants/maryland/) | 8 | 6.8% | 4.6% |
| [Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/offices-of-mental-health-practitioners/) | 7 | 6.0% | 0.8% |
| [Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/administrative-management-general-management-consulting-services/) | 6 | 5.1% | 0.9% |

Share is the percent of all Columbia 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 Columbia

The median Columbia loan was $150,000 with a median term of 10 years.

The median variable-rate loan in Columbia was priced at Prime plus 3.0 percentage points at approval. At today's Prime that spread works out to 10.00%. On $150,000 over 10 years, principal and interest would come to about $1,982 a month. That is arithmetic on past loans, not a rate a lender is offering.

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

| Loan | Amount | Monthly payment |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 25th percentile loan | $50,000 | $661 |
| Median loan | $150,000 | $1,982 |
| 75th percentile loan | $414,000 | $5,471 |

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 $150,000 is Prime plus 6.0 percentage points, or 13.00% today. The median variable-rate loan here was priced 3.0 points under that ceiling. Source: 13 CFR § 120.214(d)(2); SOP 50 10 8.1, App. 18, Para. A.2 (p. 395).

Columbia loans approved since FY2024 had a median starting rate of 10.5% 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 $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 Columbia

The 504 file lists fewer than five loans in Columbia since FY2020.

That is too few to publish a count, a dollar total or a median for Columbia.

No Certified Development Company (CDC) is named on five or more 504 loans in Columbia, so the list below is Maryland's. Business Finance Group, Inc. is named on the most there, 55 loans since FY2024.

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

| Certified Development Company | 504 loans |
| --- | --- |
| Business Finance Group, Inc. | 55 |
| Rappahannock Economic Development Corporation | 14 |
| 504 Capital Corporation | 9 |
| Chesapeake Business Finance Corporation | 9 |

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 Columbia

Columbia made up 3.8% of Maryland's SBA loans since FY2024.

Columbia 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.

- [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/)
- [Baltimore: 288 loans, median $141,500](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/baltimore/)
- [Rockville: 103 loans, median $150,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/rockville/)
- [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/)
- [Annapolis: 61 loans, median $150,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/annapolis/)
- [Frederick: 122 loans, median $131,850](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/maryland-small-business-loans/frederick/)

## Common questions about SBA loans in Columbia

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

M&T Bank leads with 45 loans in Columbia since FY2024. Newtek Bank (10) and BayFirst National Bank (6) follow. Only lenders with five or more Columbia loans are counted.

### Which industries get SBA loans in Columbia?

Full-Service Restaurants leads with 8 loans in Columbia since FY2024. Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (7) and Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (6) 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)