# Buying a Business in Arkansas: SBA Lending

Change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) approvals in Arkansas, FY2020 through FY2025. Every figure is read from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (as of June 30, 2026).

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Also on this site: https://searchspheresource.com/data/acquisition-lending
Source: https://searchspheresource.com/data/acquisition-lending/arkansas
Last checked: 2026-10-02

## The Numbers

- Loans since FY2020: 243, $290,884,100 approved in total
- FY2025 loans: 54, $79,606,300 approved
- Median loan: $786,200
- Share of national acquisition lending: 0.7%

## The Most Active Lenders in Arkansas

Ranked by change-of-ownership loans written in the covered years. A bank high here is a bank that has already said yes to this kind of deal in this state.

1. First Financial Bank (AR): 35 loans
2. Arvest Bank: 24 loans
3. Live Oak Banking Company: 16 loans
4. Southern Bancorp Bank: 12 loans
5. ACC Capital: 12 loans

## What Gets Financed in Arkansas

- Broilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production: 28 loans
- Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels: 17 loans
- Full-Service Restaurants: 10 loans
- Pharmacies and Drug Retailers: 8 loans
- Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores: 7 loans

## Method and Source

- SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (as of June 30, 2026): https://data.sba.gov/dataset/7a-504-foia
- Coverage: FY2020 through FY2025
- Segment: SBA 7(a) approvals with BusinessAge "Change of Ownership"

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