Buying a Business in Louisiana
The Numbers
FY2025 Acquisition Loans
71
$91.0M approved
Median Loan
$813k
FY2020 through FY2025
Loans Since FY2020
321
$375M in total approvals
Share of U.S. Activity
0.9%
Of change-of-ownership loans
What the Data Says
Louisiana ranks 32nd of 53 states and territories for change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) lending: 321 loans since FY2020, 0.9% of the national total.
The typical deal runs large: its $813k 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 71 loans ran ahead of the state's own ~54 a year pace since FY2020.
The most-financed target is pharmacies and drug retailers (25 loans), and the 5 most active lenders wrote about 37% of the state's acquisitions, a broad lender field.
Most Active Acquisition Lenders in Louisiana
- 1. Hancock Whitney Bank28 loans
- 2. Live Oak Banking Company25 loans
- 3. American Bank (LA)23 loans
- 4. Gulf Coast Bank22 loans
- 5. First Financial Bank (AR)21 loans
A lender being active in Louisiana does not require a local branch; several top SBA lenders work nationally. Build a shortlist with Lenders.
What Gets Bought in Louisiana
- Pharmacies and Drug Retailers25 loans
- Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels23 loans
- Full-Service Restaurants16 loans
- Limited-Service Restaurants14 loans
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages12 loans
Industry-specific pricing and diligence live in the Guides. Where the buyable targets sit in Louisiana, by county, is in the Louisiana buying guide.
By Metro Area in Louisiana
New Orleans-Metairie, LA
65 purchase loans, median $602k. Bought most: Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels. Most active lender: Hancock Whitney Bank (11).
Lafayette, LA
51 purchase loans, median $1.02M. Bought most: Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels. Most active lender: Gulf Coast Bank (14).
Baton Rouge, LA
47 purchase loans, median $783k. Bought most: Pharmacies and Drug Retailers. Most active lender: BankFirst Financial Services (5).
Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA
28 purchase loans, median $706k. Bought most: Full-Service Restaurants. Most active lender: American Bank (LA) (9).
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
26 purchase loans, median $869k. Bought most: Pharmacies and Drug Retailers. Most active lender: Byline Bank (4).
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 Louisiana project address. Approvals, not closings; excludes conventional and 504 financing.