SBA Lending in Chicago, Illinois
Businesses in Chicago, IL have drawn 11,855 SBA 7(a) loans worth $3.1B, and annual volume has fallen 7% versus the prior decade.
- 11,855
- 7(a) loans
- $3.1B
- Approved dollars
- $262,234
- Average loan size
- #1
- Rank in Illinois
- -7%
- Annualized vs prior decade
- 16.1%
- Active-loan distress
Chicago is the #1 SBA 7(a) market in Illinois and #4 in the country. Since 1991 lenders have approved 11,855 loans here worth $3.1B, averaging $262,234 each. Annual approval volume has fallen 7% between FY2013-2019 and FY2020-2026. 16.1% of the active book is delinquent, past due, or in liquidation. The most-funded local business type is full-service restaurants.
What Chicago borrows for
Who lends in Chicago
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Open the interactive map ↗7(a) loans only, approved and not cancelled, gross basis, grouped by the borrower's city as filed. Distress is the current share of the active book in delinquent, past-due, or liquidation status. Approval is not funding. FOIA record as of March 31, 2026.