Buying a Business in Ohio
The Numbers
FY2025 Acquisition Loans
299
$349M approved
Median Loan
$597k
FY2020 through FY2025
Loans Since FY2020
1,290
$1.36B in total approvals
Share of U.S. Activity
3.6%
Of change-of-ownership loans
What the Data Says
Ohio ranks 9th of 53 states and territories for change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) lending: 1,290 loans since FY2020, 4% of the national total.
The typical deal runs small: its $597k median loan sits below the $650k midpoint across states, within reach on less equity.
Activity is accelerating: FY2025's 299 loans ran ahead of the state's own ~215 a year pace since FY2020.
The most-financed target is hotels (except casino hotels) and motels (115 loans), and the 5 most active lenders wrote about 49% of the state's acquisitions, a broad lender field.
Most Active Acquisition Lenders in Ohio
- 1. The Huntington National Bank381 loans
- 2. Live Oak Banking Company112 loans
- 3. First Commonwealth Bank48 loans
- 4. United Midwest Savings Bank National Association46 loans
- 5. GBank45 loans
A lender being active in Ohio does not require a local branch; several top SBA lenders work nationally. Build a shortlist with Lenders.
What Gets Bought in Ohio
- Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels115 loans
- Limited-Service Restaurants62 loans
- Full-Service Restaurants43 loans
- Offices of Dentists32 loans
- Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors23 loans
Industry-specific pricing and diligence live in the Guides. Where the buyable targets sit in Ohio, by county, is in the Ohio buying guide.
Method & Source
Computed from the SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (FY2020 through FY2025), filtered to approvals flagged change of ownership with a Ohio project address. Approvals, not closings; excludes conventional and 504 financing.