Manhattan Small Business Loans: SBA Lenders, Rates and Local Help (2026)

By Solomon Wiesen, editor. Updated October 2026. Editorial standards | How this site is funded

Who actually lends to Manhattan businesses, how much they lend and at what rate, based on every SBA 7(a) loan approved in Manhattan from October 2019 to June 2026, plus the free local programs that help you apply.

SBA loans in Manhattan by the numbers

From October 2019 through June 2026, the SBA guaranteed 2,104 7(a) loans to businesses in Manhattan, worth $946.6 million: 28% of all SBA 7(a) loans in New York City. That works out to 12.4 loans for every 10,000 residents. The median loan was $150k at a median interest rate of 11.00%, and 139 different lenders made at least one loan here. 1,131 of the loans, 54%, were approved from 2023 on.

TD Bank made 19% of all SBA 7(a) loans in Manhattan, far more than any other lender, and most of them are small: its median Manhattan loan was $50k. Banks that specialize in SBA lending, such as Readycap, Newtek and BayFirst, make fewer but larger loans, and often approve businesses the big branch banks decline.

What it would cost you

Use the calculator to estimate the monthly payment on an SBA 7(a) loan. It starts at the Manhattan median loan and rate.

Which Manhattan businesses get SBA loans

Loan sizes in Manhattan skew small: 51% of loans were $150,000 or less, and 483 were $50,000 or less. The breakdown by size:

• $50,000 or less: 483 loans
• $50,001 to $150,000: 592 loans
• $150,001 to $350,000: 488 loans
• $350,001 to $1 million: 341 loans
• Over $1 million: 200 loans

To see which lenders are most active for your industry and loan size in Manhattan, use the NYC SBA lender finder.

Local help for Manhattan businesses

Manhattan has about 93,904 business establishments employing 2,322,720 people (Census County Business Patterns, 2023), and 84.4% of them have fewer than 20 employees. These free or nonprofit resources are the first stop before a bank:

• NYC Business Solutions Center: Three centers: Lower Manhattan, Upper Manhattan (361 W 125th St, Harlem) and Washington Heights (560 W 181st St, 2nd Floor). Call 311 to confirm the Lower Manhattan address.. Free help with financing applications, hiring and permits from NYC Small Business Services. Call 311.
• Chamber: Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, 575 Fifth Ave, 14th Floor; (212) 473-7875.
• Renaissance Economic Development Corporation: 2 Allen St, 7th Floor, Chinatown; (212) 964-6022. Nonprofit microlender; see our Renaissance loans guide.
• Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ): 55 W 125th St, Harlem. Loans and grants for businesses in Upper Manhattan.
• Hebrew Free Loan Society: 275 Madison Ave, Suite 1905; (212) 687-0188. Interest-free loans for New Yorkers of all backgrounds.
• Business improvement districts: Manhattan has 26 BIDs (NYC SBS, FY2025). If your storefront is inside one, ask it about free marketing, storefront and sanitation programs.

Grants: Manhattan has no borough-only grant open now; see the citywide programs below. For every program open now, see NYC small business grants 2026.

If the SBA says no

SBA lenders usually want two years in business, a credit score in the high 600s and tax returns that show the business can carry the payment. If you are not there yet, nonprofit lenders above often lend $5,000 to $150,000 with more flexible rules. Be careful with merchant cash advances: a typical factor rate of 1.30 repaid over six months works out to an annual cost above 100%. Read how New York treats merchant cash advances before you sign one.

Other boroughs: Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island. Compare all five on SBA loans by borough.

Where to go next

General information, not legal or financial advice. Lender terms change; confirm them with the lender before you apply.