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Rankings & leaderboards·SBA 2026 Borrower Suspensions

States by Suspension Rate per 1,000 Pandemic Loans

Illinois had the highest suspension rate of the 55 jurisdictions ranked: 126.4 suspended borrowers for every 1,000 PPP and COVID EIDL loans, ahead of Georgia (117.2) and Louisiana (94.0). South Dakota had the lowest, 20.3. The rate divides SBA's count of suspended borrowers by the number of loans in the federal loan files. One borrower can hold several loans, so the rate is not the share of borrowers suspended; it compares jurisdictions.

Releases 6 Feb, 4 Jun, 8 Jul & 14 Sep 2026Dataset built 15 September 2026Universe 55 jurisdictions (67.73 per 1,000 overall)Source SBA suspensions by state

Highest rate: Illinois (96,128 suspended / 760,752 loans)
126.36
All jurisdictions together per 1,000 PPP & COVID EIDL loans
67.73
Lowest ranked rate: South Dakota (1,452 / 71,667 loans, #55)
20.26
Minimum loan denominator (2 jurisdictions below it excluded)
1,000

Where suspension rates are highest

Only two states exceed 100 suspended borrowers per 1,000 loans (Illinois at 126.36 and Georgia at 117.18), while 15 jurisdictions sit above the 67.73 all-jurisdictions rate.

Geography of the suspension rate across 55 jurisdictions

Suspended borrowers per 1,000 PPP and COVID EIDL loans. Illinois (126.36) and Georgia (117.18) are outlined in yellow; American Samoa (AS, 474 loans) and military mail (4 loans) fall below the 1,000-loan threshold.

AK36.10
ME26.17
VT35.42
NH38.98
WA51.99
ID44.00
MT24.29
ND20.82
MN25.99
WI34.69
MI82.24
NY71.39
MA49.79
RI59.72
CT44.48
OR38.08
NV91.18
WY44.27
SD20.26
IA26.18
IL126.36
IN67.23
OH63.30
PA55.70
NJ57.44
CA61.17
UT34.87
CO40.87
NE21.72
MO45.27
KY37.86
WV52.31
VA52.36
MD67.88
DE92.92
DC75.45
AZ76.33
NM42.90
KS31.92
AR62.05
TN68.51
NC64.08
SC66.00
OK43.40
LA94.00
MS84.04
AL84.52
GA117.18
HI38.81
TX70.76
FL81.75
PR30.34
VI48.00
GU33.62
MP36.85
AS—
  • <35
  • 35–45
  • 45–60
  • 60–75
  • 75–90
  • 90+
  • <1,000 loans (excluded)

Source: SBA borrower suspensions by state, 2026 (SBA releases of 6 February, 4 June, 8 July and 14 September 2026).

Distribution across the 55 ranked jurisdictions vs. the 67.73 all-jurisdictions rate

Each dot is one jurisdiction. 15 jurisdictions sit above the 67.73 per 1,000 all-jurisdictions rate (through Maryland at 67.88, rank 15); 40 sit below it.

All jurisdictions: 67.73
South Dakota 20.26 (#55)California 61.17 (#21)Florida 81.75 (#9)Illinois (126.36) & Georgia (117.18)
050100130

Top 12 jurisdictions by suspension rate, plus California (#21) and South Dakota (#55)

Suspended borrowers per 1,000 PPP and COVID EIDL loans, with raw suspended-borrower numerator and loan denominator.

  1. 1Illinois96,128 suspended · 760,752 loans126.36
  2. 2Georgia85,975 suspended · 733,685 loans117.18
  3. 3Louisiana26,739 suspended · 284,448 loans94.00
  4. 4Delaware3,462 suspended · 37,258 loans92.92
  5. 5Nevada14,387 suspended · 157,792 loans91.18
  6. 6Alabama18,075 suspended · 213,843 loans84.52
  7. 7Mississippi14,310 suspended · 170,268 loans84.04
  8. 8Michigan30,923 suspended · 376,006 loans82.24
  9. 9Florida118,167 suspended · 1,445,517 loans81.75
  10. Florida (rank 9 by rate, 81.75 per 1,000) had the largest raw count of suspended borrowers (118,167 across 1,445,517 loans), ahead of California (111,620, rank 21 by rate at 61.17).
  11. 10Arizona17,450 suspended · 228,625 loans76.33
  12. 11District of Columbia3,007 suspended · 39,855 loans75.45
  13. 12New York75,451 suspended · 1,056,875 loans71.39
  14. Reference rows lower in the table: California (#21, 6 February 2026 release) and South Dakota (#55, lowest rate).
  15. 21California111,620 suspended · 1,824,668 loans61.17
  16. 55South Dakota1,452 suspended · 71,667 loans20.26

Note: Five numerators come from earlier 2026 SBA releases (California and Minnesota from 6 February 2026; Maine and Ohio from 4 June 2026; Wisconsin from 8 July 2026); the other 50 come from 14 September 2026.

  1. 1

    Illinois

    126.36Suspended borrowers per 1,000 loans · 1st of 55 ranked
    Suspended
    96,128 borrowers
    Loans
    760,752 PPP & COVID EIDL
    Release
    14 September 2026

    Highest rate among the 55 jurisdictions above the 1,000-loan threshold; third-highest raw count after Florida (118,167) and California (111,620).

    Source: SBA state dataset (15 Sep 2026)

  2. 2

    Georgia

    117.18Suspended borrowers per 1,000 loans · 2nd of 55 ranked
    Suspended
    85,975 borrowers
    Loans
    733,685 PPP & COVID EIDL
    Release
    14 September 2026

    One of only two jurisdictions above 100 suspended borrowers per 1,000 PPP and COVID EIDL loans.

    Source: SBA state dataset (15 Sep 2026)

  3. 3

    Louisiana

    94.00Suspended borrowers per 1,000 loans · 3rd of 55 ranked
    Suspended
    26,739 borrowers
    Loans
    284,448 PPP & COVID EIDL
    Release
    14 September 2026

    Leads a three-jurisdiction cluster between 91.18 and 94.00 per 1,000 (Louisiana 94.00, Delaware 92.92, Nevada 91.18).

    Source: SBA state dataset (15 Sep 2026)

The ranking

All 55 jurisdictions with at least 1,000 PPP and COVID EIDL loans. Click any numeric header to re-sort; the in-cell bars rescale to the active column.

Showing 55 ranked jurisdictions · 2 excluded under the 1,000-loan threshold

Dataset built 15 September 2026

States by Suspension Rate per 1,000 Pandemic Loans
#JurisdictionSource
1Illinois126.3696,128760,752SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
2Georgia117.1885,975733,685SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
3Louisiana94.0026,739284,448SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
4Delaware92.923,46237,258SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
5Nevada91.1814,387157,792SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
6Alabama84.5218,075213,843SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
7Mississippi84.0414,310170,268SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
8Michigan82.2430,923376,006SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
9Florida81.75118,1671,445,517SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
10Arizona76.3317,450228,625SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
11District of Columbia75.453,00739,855SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
12New York71.3975,4511,056,875SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
13Texas70.7688,8311,255,347SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
14Tennessee68.5119,373282,783SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
15Maryland67.8817,591259,156SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
16Indiana67.2315,114224,794SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
17South Carolina66.0013,052197,744SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
18North Carolina64.0822,439350,155SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
19Ohio63.3027,486434,202SBA release, 4 Jun 2026
20Arkansas62.057,645123,213SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
21California61.17111,6201,824,668SBA release, 6 Feb 2026
22Rhode Island59.722,65844,504SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
23New Jersey57.4424,609428,458SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
24Pennsylvania55.7024,492439,735SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
25Virginia52.3615,485295,725SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
26West Virginia52.312,15141,117SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
27Washington51.9913,393257,588SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
28Massachusetts49.7913,896279,110SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
29U.S. Virgin Islands48.002495,188SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
30Missouri45.2712,425274,494SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
31Connecticut44.486,803152,955SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
32Wyoming44.271,36630,858SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
33Idaho44.002,83264,365SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
34Oklahoma43.408,112186,911SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
35New Mexico42.902,38355,551SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
36Colorado40.8710,138248,070SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
37New Hampshire38.982,01551,698SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
38Hawaii38.812,42262,408SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
39Oregon38.085,831153,116SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
40Kentucky37.865,788152,896SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
41Northern Mariana Islands36.85441,194SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
42Alaska36.101,12431,140SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
43Vermont35.4297727,585SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
44Utah34.873,685105,675SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
45Wisconsin34.697,800224,845SBA release, 8 Jul 2026
46Guam33.621674,967SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
47Kansas31.924,631145,101SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
48Puerto Rico30.343,01599,368SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
49Iowa26.184,942188,775SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
50Maine26.171,50057,323SBA release, 4 Jun 2026
51Minnesota25.996,900265,440SBA release, 6 Feb 2026
52Montana24.291,37956,783SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
53Nebraska21.722,789128,389SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
54North Dakota20.821,20157,689SBA release, 14 Sep 2026
55South Dakota20.261,45271,667SBA release, 14 Sep 2026

Excluded under the 1,000-loan minimum denominator: Armed Forces Europe, Middle East, Africa and Canada (military mail) (4 loans); American Samoa (474 loans).

How this list is built

Method & definitions

Unit ranked
the state or territory.
Metric
suspended borrowers per 1,000 PPP and COVID EIDL loans.
Universe
55 jurisdictions above the threshold.
All jurisdictions together
67.73 per 1,000.
Vintage
SBA releases of 6 February, 4 June, 8 July and 14 September 2026; dataset built 15 September 2026.

SBA's 2026 releases give suspended borrowers by jurisdiction; the federal spending files give each jurisdiction's PPP and COVID EIDL loan counts. The archive's dataset carries both. This list divides the first by the second and multiplies by a thousand, recomputed here from the two count columns rather than taken from the dataset's own rate column. Five numerators are not from the September release: California and Minnesota from SBA's release of 6 February 2026, Maine and Ohio from 4 June 2026, Wisconsin from 8 July 2026.

A minimum-denominator rule applies. A jurisdiction with a handful of loans produces an unstable rate — one suspension out of four loans is 250 per thousand. Jurisdictions with fewer than 1,000 PPP and COVID EIDL loans are therefore excluded and named below rather than ranked. 2 rows are excluded: Armed Forces Europe, Middle East, Africa and Canada (military mail) (4 loans); American Samoa (474 loans).

What this measures, and what it does not

A suspension is an administrative step, not a finding of fraud. Nothing in this table is an adjudication, and no borrower is named.

A rate is a ratio of two things SBA and USAspending count differently. The numerator is borrowers; the denominator is loans, and one borrower could take both a PPP loan and a COVID EIDL loan, so the denominator counts some borrowers twice. The rate is therefore a comparative index, not a probability that a given borrower was suspended.

The jurisdictions the releases did not break out carry no numerator and are absent. This comparison excludes jurisdictions with fewer than 1,000 PPP and COVID EIDL loans. That threshold is the archive's choice, not SBA's.

Sources

  1. Archive data page: SBA borrower suspensions by state, 2026
  2. Archive data page: SBA borrower suspensions, 2026
  3. File as held: data/files/sba-borrower-suspensions-by-state-2026.csv (sha256 5b902f91dc555863…)
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