For Iowa, recorded SBA acquisition approvals fell 14.5% from FY2025 to FY2026. The median approved loan rose 90.7% over the same period, from $236,000 to $450,000.
What changed
| Measure | FY2025 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Approvals | 62 | 53 |
| Total approved | $42,386,800 | $54,401,700 |
| Median approved loan | $236,000 | $450,000 |
| Middle half of approvals | $158,125–$750,300 | $166,800–$1,159,800 |
| Distinct lender names | 38 | 35 |
Across the full U.S. dataset, approval counts fell 4.6%. This comparison covers 115 approvals in its two-year sample. Each year’s middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile.
Approval counts and the median moved in opposite directions. The two measures describe different aspects of the market: how often an approval was recorded and the size of the approval at the midpoint. Changes in the deal mix can move the median even as the approval count moves the other way.