Buying a Business in Missouri
The Numbers
FY2025 Acquisition Loans
174
$203M approved
Median Loan
$578k
FY2020 through FY2025
Loans Since FY2020
824
$774M in total approvals
Share of U.S. Activity
2.3%
Of change-of-ownership loans
What the Data Says
Missouri ranks 17th of 53 states and territories for change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) lending: 824 loans since FY2020, 2% of the national total.
The typical deal runs small: its $578k median loan sits below the $650k midpoint across states, within reach on less equity.
Activity is accelerating: FY2025's 174 loans ran ahead of the state's own ~137 a year pace since FY2020.
The most-financed target is full-service restaurants (51 loans), and the 5 most active lenders wrote about 28% of the state's acquisitions, a broad lender field.
Most Active Acquisition Lenders in Missouri
- 1. OakStar Bank78 loans
- 2. Live Oak Banking Company45 loans
- 3. Midwest Regional Bank38 loans
- 4. Regent Bank36 loans
- 5. The Bank of Houston35 loans
A lender being active in Missouri does not require a local branch; several top SBA lenders work nationally. Build a shortlist with Lenders.
What Gets Bought in Missouri
- Full-Service Restaurants51 loans
- Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels35 loans
- Limited-Service Restaurants26 loans
- General Automotive Repair25 loans
- Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors21 loans
Industry-specific pricing and diligence live in the Guides. How many buyable businesses Missouri 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 Missouri project address. Approvals, not closings; excludes conventional and 504 financing.