# Small business loans in Nashville, TN

**Short answer:** The most active SBA lenders in Nashville, TN since FY2024 are Newtek Bank (30 loans) and U.S. Bank (28). The median loan was $280,000, and half fell between $101,350 and $751,600. For free help, see the Tennessee Small Business Development Center. Source: SBA 7(a) loan data.

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

## Lenders making SBA loans in Nashville

No lender made more than 10% of the loans in Nashville, and Newtek Bank made the most. The five largest lenders together made 38%.

**Lenders with five or more SBA loans in Nashville, TN, FY2024 to June 2026**

| Lender | Loans | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Newtek Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/newtek-bank/) | 30 | 9.5% |
| [U.S. Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/u-s-bank/) | 28 | 8.9% |
| [The Huntington National Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/the-huntington-national-bank/tennessee/) | 25 | 7.9% |
| [Readycap Lending, LLC](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/readycap-lending-llc/): Non-bank lender | 20 | 6.3% |
| [BayFirst National Bank](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/bayfirst-national-bank/) | 18 | 5.7% |

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

## Local help near Nashville

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

38% of Nashville 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 Tennessee. Its page points to state and federal resources and to lenders in the area. The Tennessee Small Business Development Center gives free counseling across Tennessee.

- [SBA Tennessee District Office: SBA district office](https://www.sba.gov/district/tennessee)
- [Tennessee Small Business Development Center: Small Business Development Center](https://tsbdc.org/)
- [SCORE mentors in Tennessee: Business mentoring](https://www.score.org/tn/)

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

- [LendTN (Fund Tennessee)](https://fundtennessee.org/lendtn/)

## Loan counts and sizes in Nashville

Nashville ranks 1st by loans since FY2024 among the 7 Tennessee cities with 100 or more SBA loans since FY2020. Nationally it is the 41st busiest of the 580 cities that reach 100 loans.

The 315 loans, 15.4% of the 2,049 in Tennessee, were approved for $204.9 million in all. The median loan was $280,000, 86% above the national median of $150,300. Half of the loans fell between $101,350 and $751,600. The Nashville median is 22% above the Tennessee median of $230,000.

**Nashville, TN compared with Tennessee and the nation, loans from FY2024 to June 2026**

| Measure | Nashville | Tennessee | U.S. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Loans | 315 | 2,049 | 162,355 |
| Median loan | $280,000 | $230,000 | $150,300 |
| 25th percentile | $101,350 | $75,000 | $50,000 |
| 75th percentile | $751,600 | $558,000 | $500,000 |
| Via SBA Express | 19.4% | 23.2% | 35.8% |
| Lines of credit | 14.3% | 15.7% | 28.1% |
| Startups | 20.3% | 23.9% | 16.1% |
| Ownership changes | 12.1% | 10.8% | 10.4% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Median spread | 2.75 | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Charged off | Fewer than 5 | 3.5% | 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.

67% of the loans were $500,000 or less, the size SBA Express covers. 19.4% of all loans went through SBA Express, below the national 35.8%. Lines of credit were 14.3% of loans, below the national 28.1%.

SBA loans in Nashville, TN by size, FY2024 to June 2026

- $50,000 or less (14%): 45
- $50,001 to $150,000 (25%): 79
- $150,001 to $350,000 (17%): 55
- $350,001 to $500,000 (10%): 33
- $500,001 to $1,000,000 (13%): 42
- $1,000,001 to $2,000,000 (11%): 35
- Over $2,000,000 (8%): 26

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

By business age, 49.5% of loans went to businesses more than two years old and 18.1% to businesses two years old or younger. Startups received 20.3% and changes of ownership 12.1%. The national startup share is 16.1%.

SBA loans in Nashville, TN by fiscal year

- FY2020: 52
- FY2021: 53
- FY2022: 62
- FY2023: 108
- FY2024: 116
- FY2025: 134
- FY2026 (through June 30): 65

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

Volume rose 16% from FY2024 (116 loans) to FY2025 (134), the two latest full years. The busiest full year in the file was FY2025, with 134 loans. FY2026 already shows 65 loans through June 30.

Of the 167 loans Nashville borrowers received in FY2020 to FY2022, fewer than 5 were charged off by June 30, 2026, against 3.6% nationally. Lenders reported 4,092 jobs supported across the 315 loans since FY2024, about 13.0 per loan. SBA does not audit these estimates.

## What businesses in Nashville borrow for

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers was the largest borrower group in Nashville, with 15 loans or 4.8% of the total.

The five largest industries made up 21% of all Nashville loans. Janitorial Services stands out: its 11 loans are 3.5% of Nashville loans, against 1.0% nationally, 3.6 times its national share.

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

| Industry | Loans | Share | U.S. share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/fitness-recreational-sports-centers/tennessee/) | 15 | 4.8% | 2.1% |
| [Full-Service Restaurants](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/full-service-restaurants/tennessee/) | 14 | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| [Limited-Service Restaurants](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/limited-service-restaurants/tennessee/) | 13 | 4.1% | 3.3% |
| [Other Personal Care Services](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/other-personal-care-services/tennessee/) | 13 | 4.1% | 1.2% |
| [Janitorial Services](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/janitorial-services/) | 11 | 3.5% | 1.0% |

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

## A typical loan payment in Nashville

The median Nashville loan was $280,000 with a median term of 10 years.

The median variable-rate loan in Nashville was priced at Prime plus 2.75 percentage points at approval. At today's Prime that spread works out to 9.75%. On $280,000 over 10 years, principal and interest would come to about $3,662 a month. That is arithmetic on past loans, not a rate a lender is offering.

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

| Loan | Amount | Monthly payment |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 25th percentile loan | $101,350 | $1,325 |
| Median loan | $280,000 | $3,662 |
| 75th percentile loan | $751,600 | $9,829 |

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 $280,000 is Prime plus 4.5 percentage points, or 11.50% today. The median variable-rate loan here was priced 1.8 points under that ceiling. Source: 13 CFR § 120.214(d)(3); SOP 50 10 8.1, App. 18, Para. A.2 (p. 395).

Nashville 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 $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 Nashville

Nashville has 15 SBA 504 loans since FY2020, with $29.4 million in SBA and CDC dollars.

Fewer than five of them came in FY2024 or later, so no recent median is published. The bank's share of each project is separate and is not counted in these figures.

Brightbridge, 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 Nashville, FY2020 to June 2026**

| Certified Development Company | 504 loans |
| --- | --- |
| Brightbridge, 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/).

## Tennessee cities near Nashville

Nashville made up 15.4% of Tennessee's SBA loans since FY2024.

Nashville is one of 7 Tennessee cities with 100 or more SBA loans since FY2020. The [Tennessee page](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/tennessee-small-business-loans/) covers all 2,049 loans in Tennessee. The closest come first, ranked by county and ZIP code on their loans.

- [Murfreesboro: 81 loans, median $163,200](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/tennessee-small-business-loans/murfreesboro/)
- [Franklin: 117 loans, median $243,500](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/tennessee-small-business-loans/franklin/)
- [Clarksville: 88 loans, median $150,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/tennessee-small-business-loans/clarksville/)
- [Chattanooga: 80 loans, median $300,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/tennessee-small-business-loans/chattanooga/)
- [Knoxville: 184 loans, median $243,000](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/tennessee-small-business-loans/knoxville/)
- [Memphis: 129 loans, median $276,500](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/tennessee-small-business-loans/memphis/)

## Common questions about SBA loans in Nashville

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

Newtek Bank leads with 30 loans in Nashville since FY2024. U.S. Bank (28) and The Huntington National Bank (25) follow. Only lenders with five or more Nashville loans are counted.

### Which industries get SBA loans in Nashville?

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers leads with 15 loans in Nashville since FY2024. Full-Service Restaurants (14) and Limited-Service Restaurants (13) 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 Tennessee District Office](https://www.sba.gov/district/tennessee)
- [Tennessee Small Business Development Center](https://tsbdc.org/)
- [SCORE, Tennessee](https://www.score.org/tn/)
- [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)