Buying a Business in California
The Numbers
FY2025 Acquisition Loans
754
$868M approved
Median Loan
$640k
FY2020 through FY2025
Loans Since FY2020
3,788
$4.30B in total approvals
Share of U.S. Activity
10.6%
Of change-of-ownership loans
What the Data Says
California ranks 1st of 53 states and territories for change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) lending: 3,788 loans since FY2020, 11% of the national total.
The typical deal is mid-market: its $640k median loan is close to the $650k midpoint across states.
Activity is accelerating: FY2025's 754 loans ran ahead of the state's own ~631 a year pace since FY2020.
The most-financed target is full-service restaurants (286 loans), and the 5 most active lenders wrote about 31% of the state's acquisitions, a broad lender field.
Most Active Acquisition Lenders in California
- 1. Live Oak Banking Company482 loans
- 2. Open Bank201 loans
- 3. Bank of Hope162 loans
- 4. Plumas Bank157 loans
- 5. Commonwealth Business Bank155 loans
A lender being active in California does not require a local branch; several top SBA lenders work nationally. Build a shortlist with Lenders.
Buying near Los Angeles? The Metro Target Scans rank this region's strongest industries.
What Gets Bought in California
- Full-Service Restaurants286 loans
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers265 loans
- Limited-Service Restaurants227 loans
- Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores206 loans
- Convenience Retailers125 loans
Industry-specific pricing and diligence live in the Guides. Where the buyable targets sit in California, by county, is in the California buying guide.
By Metro Area in California
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
1,322 purchase loans, median $571k. Bought most: Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers. Most active lender: Live Oak Banking Company (138).
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
400 purchase loans, median $616k. Bought most: Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers. Most active lender: Live Oak Banking Company (87).
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
350 purchase loans, median $665k. Bought most: Full-Service Restaurants. Most active lender: Live Oak Banking Company (28).
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
338 purchase loans, median $590k. Bought most: Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors. Most active lender: Live Oak Banking Company (69).
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
296 purchase loans, median $704k. Bought most: Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly. Most active lender: Plumas Bank (40).
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
174 purchase loans, median $633k. Bought most: Full-Service Restaurants. Most active lender: Live Oak Banking Company (35).
Fresno, CA
88 purchase loans, median $883k. Bought most: Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores. Most active lender: Celtic Bank Corporation (21).
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
87 purchase loans, median $576k. Bought most: Full-Service Restaurants. Most active lender: Live Oak Banking Company (12).
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
87 purchase loans, median $547k. Bought most: Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly. Most active lender: Live Oak Banking Company (18).
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
79 purchase loans, median $1.04M. Bought most: Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores. Most active lender: Commonwealth Business Bank (18).
Stockton-Lodi, CA
62 purchase loans, median $950k. Bought most: Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores. Most active lender: Celtic Bank Corporation (7).
Salinas, CA
54 purchase loans, median $467k. Bought most: Full-Service Restaurants. Most active lender: Monterey County Bank (10).
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
52 purchase loans, median $594k. Bought most: Full-Service Restaurants. Most active lender: American Riviera Bank (8).
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
48 purchase loans, median $505k. Bought most: Hardware Retailers. Most active lender: American Riviera Bank (8).
Vallejo, CA
44 purchase loans, median $754k. Bought most: Limited-Service Restaurants. Most active lender: Live Oak Banking Company (7).
Modesto, CA
39 purchase loans, median $755k. Bought most: Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores. Most active lender: Live Oak Banking Company (6).
Visalia, CA
33 purchase loans, median $1.17M. Bought most: Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores. Most active lender: Commonwealth Business Bank (7).
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
28 purchase loans, median $561k. Bought most: Full-Service Restaurants. Most active lender: West Coast Community Bank (5).
Redding, CA
24 purchase loans, median $648k. Bought most: Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly. Most active lender: Plumas Bank (6).
Every metro area that drew 20 purchase loans, with three lenders each, is in the metro table.
Method & Source
Computed from the SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (FY2020 through FY2025), filtered to approvals flagged change of ownership with a California project address. Approvals, not closings; excludes conventional and 504 financing.