# Buying a Business in California: SBA Lending

Change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) approvals in California, 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/california
Last checked: 2026-10-02

## The Numbers

- Loans since FY2020: 3,788, $4,297,351,200 approved in total
- FY2025 loans: 754, $867,547,600 approved
- Median loan: $640,000
- Share of national acquisition lending: 10.6%

## The Most Active Lenders in California

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. Live Oak Banking Company: 482 loans
2. Open Bank: 201 loans
3. Bank of Hope: 162 loans
4. Plumas Bank: 157 loans
5. Commonwealth Business Bank: 155 loans

## What Gets Financed in California

- Full-Service Restaurants: 286 loans
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers: 265 loans
- Limited-Service Restaurants: 227 loans
- Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores: 206 loans
- Convenience Retailers: 125 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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