Buying a Business in Maryland
The Numbers
FY2025 Acquisition Loans
108
$118M approved
Median Loan
$693k
FY2020 through FY2025
Loans Since FY2020
468
$525M in total approvals
Share of U.S. Activity
1.3%
Of change-of-ownership loans
What the Data Says
Maryland ranks 24th of 53 states and territories for change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) lending: 468 loans since FY2020, 1% of the national total.
The typical deal is mid-market: its $693k median loan is close to the $650k midpoint across states.
Activity is accelerating: FY2025's 108 loans ran ahead of the state's own ~78 a year pace since FY2020.
The most-financed target is beer, wine, and liquor retailers (52 loans), and the 5 most active lenders wrote about 48% of the state's acquisitions, a broad lender field.
Most Active Acquisition Lenders in Maryland
- 1. Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company100 loans
- 2. Live Oak Banking Company50 loans
- 3. Hanmi Bank35 loans
- 4. The Huntington National Bank22 loans
- 5. Fulton Bank, National Association18 loans
A lender being active in Maryland does not require a local branch; several top SBA lenders work nationally. Build a shortlist with Lenders.
What Gets Bought in Maryland
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers52 loans
- Limited-Service Restaurants24 loans
- General Automotive Repair21 loans
- Full-Service Restaurants20 loans
Industry-specific pricing and diligence live in the Guides. How many buyable businesses Maryland 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 Maryland project address. Approvals, not closings; excludes conventional and 504 financing.