PeerSense Research
Safest and Riskiest Industries for SBA Loans 2026
Across SBA 7(a) and 504 lending, Animal Production has the lowest default rate at 6.3%, while Credit Intermediation runs the highest at 37.8%. Lower default rates mean lenders quote tighter and underwrite faster. Each industry below links to its full data.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 outcomes, minimum 500 resolved loans per industry. Updated June 2026.
Safest industries (lowest default rates)
| Industry | Default Rate | Loans Analyzed |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Production | 6.3% | 9,228 |
| Management of Companies | 7.2% | 558 |
| Beverage & Tobacco | 7.6% | 4,416 |
| Support Activities for Mining | 7.7% | 2,108 |
| Ambulatory Healthcare | 8.2% | 83,986 |
| Crop Production | 8.3% | 1,967 |
| Warehousing & Storage | 8.4% | 1,232 |
| Nursing & Residential Care | 8.4% | 4,708 |
| Waste Management & Remediation | 8.6% | 4,914 |
| Agriculture & Forestry Support | 8.8% | 2,553 |
| Fabricated Metal Products | 10.5% | 18,443 |
| Heavy & Civil Engineering | 10.6% | 5,019 |
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Riskiest industries (highest default rates)
| Industry | Default Rate | Loans Analyzed |
|---|---|---|
| Credit Intermediation | 37.8% | 3,426 |
| General Merchandise Stores | 26.9% | 4,403 |
| Fishing, Hunting & Trapping | 26.4% | 1,210 |
| Electronics & Appliance Stores | 24.4% | 7,401 |
| Clothing & Accessories | 24% | 22,508 |
| Apparel Manufacturing | 23.2% | 3,478 |
| Furniture & Home Furnishing Stores | 22.9% | 11,250 |
| NAICS 514 | 22.5% | 1,644 |
| Telecommunications | 22% | 2,584 |
| Miscellaneous Retail | 21.7% | 28,486 |
| Construction of Buildings | 21.6% | 25,687 |
| Leather Products | 20.9% | 746 |
Open data, free to use with attribution
Download the full SBA default-rate-by-industry dataset (every NAICS industry with 100+ resolved loans). Licensed CC BY 4.0, cite as PeerSense, SBA Default Rate by Industry (2026).
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Source: PeerSense, SBA Default Rate by Industry (2026), https://peersense.com/research/sba-default-rates-by-industry-2026
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A PeerSense analysis of real SBA 7(a) and 504 loan outcomes ranks Animal Production among the safest industries at a 6.3 percent default rate, while Credit Intermediation runs highest at 37.8 percent (PeerSense, SBA Default Rate by Industry, 2026).
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Source: <a href="https://peersense.com/research/sba-default-rates-by-industry-2026">PeerSense, SBA Default Rate by Industry (2026)</a>.
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PeerSense. (2026). Safest and Riskiest Industries for SBA Loans. Retrieved from https://peersense.com/research/sba-default-rates-by-industry-2026
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SBA default rates vary widely by industry.Ranked from real SBA 7(a) and 504 loan outcomes.Source: PeerSense →
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<blockquote style="max-width:440px;margin:1rem 0;padding:16px 20px;border-left:4px solid #b5893a;background:#f8fafc;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif;"><strong style="display:block;font-size:16px;color:#0f172a;">SBA default rates vary widely by industry.</strong><span style="display:block;margin-top:4px;font-size:14px;color:#475569;">Ranked from real SBA 7(a) and 504 loan outcomes.</span><a href="https://peersense.com/research/sba-default-rates-by-industry-2026" style="display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;font-size:13px;color:#b5893a;text-decoration:none;">Source: PeerSense →</a></blockquote>
How to read this
A high industry default rate does not mean you cannot get funded. It means lenders price in more risk, so the match matters more. PeerSense routes higher risk profiles to the lenders that actually fund them. Explore the full industry data library, read the State of SBA Lending 2026 report, see the full seasoned cohort risk study, or see why the biggest lender is often the riskiest.