Buying a Business in Delaware
The Numbers
FY2025 Acquisition Loans
20
$23.0M approved
Median Loan
$472k
FY2020 through FY2025
Loans Since FY2020
90
$90.8M in total approvals
Share of U.S. Activity
0.3%
Of change-of-ownership loans
What the Data Says
Delaware ranks 44th of 53 states and territories for change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) lending: 90 loans since FY2020, 0.3% of the national total.
The typical deal runs small: its $472k median loan sits below the $650k midpoint across states, within reach on less equity.
Activity is accelerating: FY2025's 20 loans ran ahead of the state's own ~15 a year pace since FY2020.
The most-financed target is home health care services (3 loans), and the 5 most active lenders wrote about 57% of the state's acquisitions, a concentrated lender field.
This is a thin market by national standards, so expect fewer local comparables and mostly out-of-state lenders; build the shortlist deliberately rather than relying on a nearby branch.
Most Active Acquisition Lenders in Delaware
- 1. Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company20 loans
- 2. Beacon Bank and Trust9 loans
- 3. The Huntington National Bank8 loans
- 4. Live Oak Banking Company7 loans
- 5. Fulton Bank, National Association7 loans
A lender being active in Delaware does not require a local branch; several top SBA lenders work nationally. Build a shortlist with Lenders.
What Gets Bought in Delaware
- Home Health Care Services3 loans
- Full-Service Restaurants3 loans
- Automotive Parts and Accessories Retailers3 loans
- All Other Miscellaneous Schools and Instruction3 loans
- Limited-Service Restaurants3 loans
Industry-specific pricing and diligence live in the Guides. How many buyable businesses Delaware holds in each trade is in Where the Businesses Are.
Method & Source
Computed from the SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (FY2020 through FY2025), filtered to approvals flagged change of ownership with a Delaware project address. Approvals, not closings; excludes conventional and 504 financing.