Bergen by the numbers: 31,818 business locations, most of them small
The Census Bureau counted 31,818 business establishments in Bergen County in 2023, employing 441,870 people [2]. That is about 13% of all establishments in New Jersey, the largest share of any county [2]. Most are small: 27,909 Bergen establishments had fewer than 20 employees [2].
| Industry | Establishments |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 3,929 |
| Retail trade | 3,491 |
| Ambulatory health care (doctors, dentists, clinics) | 3,434 |
| Construction | 2,706 |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 2,408 |
| Beauty salons | 1,104 |
| Truck transportation | 535 |
Money follows the same shape. Bergen produced 1,005 SBA 7(a) and 504 loans from FY2024 to June 2026, the most in New Jersey, and $392.3 million in approvals [1]. FY2025 alone brought 400 7(a) loans worth $163.9 million [1].
Who made SBA loans in Bergen County, and how big they were
Five lenders made 522 of Bergen's 1,005 SBA loans [1]. Their typical loan sizes differ a lot, which tells you where to start for a given amount.
| Lender | Loans | Median loan |
|---|---|---|
| TD Bank | 213 | $55,000 |
| M&T Bank (Manufacturers and Traders Trust) | 115 | $40,000 |
| Northeast Bank | 83 | $120,100 |
| Newtek Bank | 60 | $200,000 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank | 51 | $150,000 |
For buildings and big equipment, the SBA 504 program runs through Certified Development Companies. In Bergen, Trenton Business Assistance Corporation handled 18 of the 26 504 loans and Empire State Certified Development Corporation handled 8 [1]. This is a record of who lent, not a ranking or an endorsement.
Restaurants borrow the most SBA money in Bergen: a worked example
Accommodation and food services led Bergen's SBA lending with 141 loans worth $66.8 million, ahead of professional services (123) and retail (114) [1]. Full-service restaurants alone took 85 of those food loans, limited-service spots took 31, and snack and coffee bars took 17 [1]. The median food-service loan was $175,000 [1].
Example: a $175,000 SBA 7(a) loan for a Bergen restaurant
The SBA caps the variable rate on a 7(a) loan of $50,001 to $250,000 at the base rate plus 6.0% [3]. With the prime rate at 7.00% on the Federal Reserve's Oct 20, 2026 release [4], the cap is 13.0%.
At that cap, $175,000 over 10 years costs $2,612.94 a month and $138,552.55 in total interest. That is the most a lender could charge on the rate; yours can be lower. SBA guaranty fees and closing costs come on top.
Plug your own amount into the loan payment calculator to see your monthly payment at the cap and at a lower quoted rate.
Free help in Bergen: the county office, the BRN and the SBDC
- Bergen County Division of Economic Development, One Bergen County Plaza, 3rd Floor, Hackensack, 201-336-7336. It says it assists small, medium and large businesses, retailers and manufacturers [5].
- Bergen County Business Resource Network (BRN) at bergenforbusiness.com. It offers a free SizeUp data tool and newsletter alerts on new grants, loans and incentives [6].
- NJSBDC at Fairleigh Dickinson University, which serves Morris, Sussex, Warren and Bergen counties, with an affiliate office at 214 Main Street, Suite A, Hackensack [7]. Counseling is no cost.
On grants: people search for a "Bergen County small business grant program", but we did not find an open county grant on either county site on Oct 20, 2026 [5][6]. The BRN alert list is the fastest way to hear if one opens. Bergen also has no Urban Enterprise Zone town [8].
Where in Bergen the loans went, and the 12 Opportunity Zone tracts
Hackensack borrowers took the most Bergen SBA loans (80), followed by Fort Lee (55), Palisades Park (42), Paramus (35), Fair Lawn (32) and Cliffside Park (30) [1].
Bergen has 12 federal Opportunity Zone tracts from the 2018 list: three each in Garfield and Hackensack, two in Lodi, and one each in Cliffside Park, Englewood, Fairview and South Hackensack/Teterboro [9]. Opportunity Zones reward investors with tax breaks; they do not lend to you directly. New Jersey is picking new zones and must submit nominations by Oct 28, 2026 [10].
Card processing for Bergen County businesses
Bergen has more card-taking storefronts than any other New Jersey county: 3,491 retailers, 2,408 restaurants and 1,104 personal care shops, including 518 beauty salons and 338 nail salons, in 2023 [2]. With that many shops competing, small differences in card cost show up on the bottom line.
Take a $120 sale at a Bergen clothing or home goods store. Square's in-person rate of 2.6% + 15¢ [13] costs $3.27. If the shopper uses a debit card from a large bank, Regulation II holds that bank's interchange to 21¢ plus 0.05% of the sale [12], 27¢ on $120. On larger tickets the percent drives the cost, so a lower percent beats a lower per-sale fee.
Before adding a credit card surcharge, know that New Jersey's P.L.2023, c.146 limits it to your actual cost to process the card [11]. Our credit card processing fees guide explains each part of the fee, and the fee analyzer reads your own statement.
If an SBA loan is too slow for your Bergen business
SBA loans are the cheapest money most owners can get, and the slowest. If you need cash sooner, a line of credit or a term loan can close faster at a higher cost, equipment financing suits a new hood or walk-in, and a merchant cash advance is a purchase of future receivables priced by a factor rate, not a loan. Batch Capital, our funding team, can compare them for you after the quiz.