Gas Station Feasibility Study in Oregon

Oregon fuel loans run far above the class median

Oregon gas station loans are big. The median Oregon loan for a gas station or truck stop was $1.7 million, 1.65x the class median nationwide, and the median differs widely from Oregon's lending in every other class and from fuel retail nationally, which makes it the lead fact here. Oregon ranks 14 of 53 states, with 128 approvals worth $265.7 million from FY2017 to FY2026; fuel retail stands 6 of 39 among Oregon classes; and at a location quotient of 1.15x it sits a little above its national weight in the state. The middle half of Oregon fuel loans spans $930,625 to $3.2 million.

Dollars have grown fast. Oregon approved 16 loans for $20.5 million in FY2017 and just 4 in FY2018, then climbed to $35.9 million in FY2024, $36.7 million in FY2025 and $51.0 million on 21 loans in FY2026. Franchised fuel brands account for 64.8% of loans. SBA 7(a) carried 115 approvals and SBA 504 only 13. The largest holders carry large 7(a) sums: PCB Bank holds 13 Oregon fuel loans worth $46.0 million, Celtic Bank Corporation 17 worth $39.8 million, Readycap Lending, LLC 13 worth $28.4 million and Open Bank 12 worth $26.1 million, while Columbia Bank's 11 total only $5.8 million. The Mortgage Capital Development Corporation holds 6 of the 504 loans. Lane County leads with 22 approvals and Multnomah has 19, with Umatilla third at 17.

Clean outcomes, so far

Oregon cancelled at least 8.8% of its FY2017 to FY2024 fuel approvals, and nothing from those years is still undisbursed, so the ceiling is also 8.8%. Oregon has written off 0.00% of the 48 fuel loans it disbursed during FY2017 to FY2021, and 0.00% before year five. The recent surge in dollars is too new to have any loss history, which makes these floors a weak guide for a loan approved today.

What an Oregon gas station study must test

A loan at the $1.7 million median, or near $3.2 million, has to be carried by the site. An Oregon study should measure traffic, truck share and fuel gallons against competing stations, separately for an urban site in Multnomah or Lane and a highway site in Umatilla. Cost testing covers land, construction, tanks and dispensers, the store fit-out and current Oregon permitting. Debt service coverage depends on fuel margin, store sales and any food service at conservative volumes, with interest at today's rates. The appraisal must support land, building and business value together, since a station is special-purpose property.

These Oregon figures carry the class's coding limit. Each loan is classed by what the borrower's business is, an Oregon travel center or truck stop is counted together with stations that sell no groceries, and no industry entry exists for EV charging.