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Buying a Business in Utah

The Numbers

FY2025 Acquisition Loans

109

$127M approved

Median Loan

$650k

FY2020 through FY2025

Loans Since FY2020

523

$587M in total approvals

Share of U.S. Activity

1.5%

Of change-of-ownership loans

What the Data Says

Utah ranks 21st of 53 states and territories for change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) lending: 523 loans since FY2020, 1% of the national total.

The typical deal is mid-market: its $650k median loan is close to the $650k midpoint across states.

Activity is accelerating: FY2025's 109 loans ran ahead of the state's own ~87 a year pace since FY2020.

The most-financed target is landscaping services (25 loans), and the 5 most active lenders wrote about 40% of the state's acquisitions, a broad lender field.

Most Active Acquisition Lenders in Utah

  1. 1. Zions Bank, A Division of60 loans
  2. 2. Live Oak Banking Company49 loans
  3. 3. Central Bank (UT)38 loans
  4. 4. Community Banks of Colorado, A Division of NBH Bank31 loans
  5. 5. America First Federal Credit Union31 loans

A lender being active in Utah does not require a local branch; several top SBA lenders work nationally. Build a shortlist with Lenders.

What Gets Bought in Utah

  • Landscaping Services25 loans
  • Full-Service Restaurants15 loans
  • All Other Specialty Trade Contractors12 loans
  • Limited-Service Restaurants12 loans
  • Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels12 loans

Industry-specific pricing and diligence live in the Guides. How many buyable businesses Utah 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 Utah project address. Approvals, not closings; excludes conventional and 504 financing.