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Buying a Business in Connecticut

The Numbers

FY2025 Acquisition Loans

81

$106M approved

Median Loan

$725k

FY2020 through FY2025

Loans Since FY2020

293

$344M in total approvals

Share of U.S. Activity

0.8%

Of change-of-ownership loans

What the Data Says

Connecticut ranks 34th of 53 states and territories for change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) lending: 293 loans since FY2020, 0.8% of the national total.

The typical deal runs large: its $725k median loan sits above the $650k midpoint across states, so expect bigger checks and the larger injection and cash flow they need.

Activity is accelerating: FY2025's 81 loans ran ahead of the state's own ~49 a year pace since FY2020.

The most-financed target is beer, wine, and liquor retailers (22 loans), and the 5 most active lenders wrote about 44% of the state's acquisitions, a broad lender field.

Most Active Acquisition Lenders in Connecticut

  1. 1. Live Oak Banking Company54 loans
  2. 2. Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company33 loans
  3. 3. Liberty Bank15 loans
  4. 4. Beacon Bank and Trust14 loans
  5. 5. Webster Bank National Association13 loans

A lender being active in Connecticut does not require a local branch; several top SBA lenders work nationally. Build a shortlist with Lenders.

Buying near New York City? The Metro Target Scans rank this region's strongest industries.

What Gets Bought in Connecticut

  • Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers22 loans
  • Full-Service Restaurants10 loans
  • Private Mail Centers9 loans
  • Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels7 loans
  • Insurance Agencies and Brokerages7 loans

Industry-specific pricing and diligence live in the Guides. Where the buyable targets sit in Connecticut, by county, is in the Connecticut buying guide.

By Metro Area in Connecticut

  • Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

    71 purchase loans, median $1.09M. Bought most: Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers. Most active lender: Live Oak Banking Company (12).

  • Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT

    65 purchase loans, median $685k. Bought most: Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers. Most active lender: Live Oak Banking Company (16).

  • New Haven, CT

    35 purchase loans, median $883k. Bought most: Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors. Most active lender: Live Oak Banking Company (8).

  • Waterbury-Shelton, CT

    25 purchase loans, median $400k. Bought most: Private Mail Centers. Most active lender: Live Oak Banking Company (9).

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 Connecticut project address. Approvals, not closings; excludes conventional and 504 financing.