Annual report tracks SBA lending, business buyer behavior, demographic shifts, and the growing ownership opportunity on Main Street

AUSTIN, Texas, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Contrarian Thinking today announced the release of State of Main Street 2026, its third annual benchmark report on small business ownership in America. The report offers a data-driven look at the trends reshaping Main Street, and the growing opportunity emerging from a historic shift in ownership.

The 40-page report, available as a free digital download here, examines the forces reshaping Main Street, from SBA lending patterns to buyer behavior and demographic changes, highlighting what may be one of the largest transfers of small business ownership in U.S. history.

The report draws on proprietary survey data from Contrarian Thinking's network of business buyers, as well as publicly available data from the SBA, U.S. Census Bureau, and Google Trends. It covers more than 50 metro areas and all 50 states.

Key Findings Include

• Which states and metro areas have the highest concentration of small businesses per capita — and where ownership gaps are widest
• SBA 7(a) and 504 loan approval trends for FY2025, including a ranking of the Top 50 lenders in the country
• How Google search interest in "buy a business," "business broker," and "SBA 7(a) loan" has shifted — and what that signals about buyer demand
• What business buyers say are their biggest concerns around acquisition financing
• Which industries buyers are most aggressively targeting, and what SDE ranges they're underwriting
• A visualization of America's demographic time bomb: the aging small business owner population and what it means for deal flow over the next decade

"Small businesses are the backbone of this country, and most people have no idea how much opportunity is sitting on Main Street right now," said Codie Sanchez, founder of Contrarian Thinking. "This report exists to put real data behind what we've been seeing on the ground — and to help buyers, lenders, and operators make smarter decisions."

The State of Main Street 2026 is the latest in Contrarian Thinking's ongoing effort to establish a definitive data layer for the small business economy. Previous editions have reached tens of thousands of readers across the business buying, lending, and SMB operator communities.

The report is available now as a free download here.

About Contrarian Thinking
Contrarian Thinking is an investment and advisory firm that helps ambitious people buy, build, and scale profitable businesses. Founded by Codie Sanchez, the firm operates at the intersection of media, capital, and Main Street — with a portfolio of businesses, a community of operators, and a track record of finding opportunity where others aren't looking.

Media Contact: TeamCodie@jonesworks.com

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SOURCE Contrarian Thinking