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.
Within two hours of Los Angeles? The Metro Target Scans rank this region's strongest industries.
What Gets Bought in California
- Full-Service Restaurants286 loans
- Limited-Service Restaurants227 loans
- Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores206 loans
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers169 loans
- Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels114 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.
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.