Research From Advocacy: Bank Lending to Rural vs Urban Firms in the United States, 2007-2016
The diversity of small businesses across the United States means their funding needs differ from place to place. Access to bank credit is important for all small businesses, whether located in rural or urban areas. Using FDIC data, this research examines small business lending from 2007 to 2016, concluding that rural firms have poorer access to bank credit than their urban counterparts in terms of both the amount and number of loans, a trend that deteriorated rather than improved after the Great Financial Crisis. Read Bank Lending to Rural vs Urban Firms in the U.S. Before During, and After the Great Financial Crisis to learn more.