These days more and more of your peers are bringing their business to community banks in search of more personal and personalized service.
Not to mention for those spooked by the failure of the big banks in the not-too-distant past.
That’s especially true for smaller businesses. After all, community banks are a sort of small business themselves, so they understand what those customers are up against.
But just as all small businesses aren’t equally successful, neither are all community banks.
Now there’s new help in deciding who’s the most stable.
Who came out on top
The folks at American Banker have compiled a list of the top 200 community banks, based on a three-year average return on equity (ROE).
Not only is it important to see where your own bank appears on the list, it can help to check if key customers – or risky ones – are using any of these community banks. Where they stand just may increase your confidence or throw up a red flag.
Take a look at how these increasingly popular financial institution choices stack up:
1. Citizens Financial Services (Mansfield, PA)
2. Penns Woods Bancorp (Williamsport, PA)
3. Southern Missouri Bancorp (Poplar Bluff, MO)
4. Access National Corp. (Reston, VA)
5. Hingham Institution for Savings (Hingham, MA)
6. Minster Financial Corp. (Minster, OH)
7. American Bank (Allentown, PA)
8. Cass Information Systems (Saint Louis, MO)
9. Malaga Financial Corp. (Palos Verdes Estates, CA)
10. Merchants Bancshares (South Burlington, VT)
11. Peoples Financial Services Corp. (Hallstead, PA)
12. Muncy Bank Financial (Muncy, PA)
13. Birmingham Bloomfield Bancshares (Birmingham, MI)
14. Baker Boyer Bancorp (Walla Walla, WA)
15. Lyons Bancorp (Lyons, NY)
16. Union Bankshares (Morrisville, VT)
17. Chesapeake Financial Shares (Kilmarnock, VA)
18. Cambridge Bancorp (Cambridge, MA)
19. Berkshire Bancorp (New York, NY)
20. Bridge Bancorp (Bridgehampton, NY)
21. West Milton Bancorp (West Milton, PA)
22. Meta Financial Group (Sioux Falls, SD)
23. First Community Financial Corp. Mifflintown, PA
24. Canandaigua National Corp. (Canandaigua, NY)
25. Citizens & Northern Corp. (Wellsboro, PA)
26. Somerset Trust Holding Co. (Somerset, PA)
27. Centerpointe Community Bank (Hood River, OR)
28. QNB Corp. (Quakertown, PA)
29. C&F Financial Corp. (West Point, VA)
30. Commercial National Financial Corp. (Latrobe, PA)
31. Embassy Bancorp (Bethlehem, PA)
32. American Business Bank (Los Angeles, CA)
33. Benchmark Bankshares (Kenbridge, VA)
34. Woodlands Financial Services Co.(Williamsport, PA)
35. Seacoast Commerce Bank (San Diego, CA)
36. Thomasville Bancshares Thomasville, GA)
37. Trinity Bank, N.A. (Fort Worth, TX
38. National Bankshares (Blacksburg, VA)
39. Commercial National Financial Corporation (Ithaca, MI)
40. Virginia Heritage Bank (Vienna, VA)
41. Monarch Financial Holdings (Chesapeake, VA)
42. FPB Financial Corp. (Hammond, LA)
43. CNB Financial Corporation (Clearfield, PA)
44. Bank of Marin Bancorp (Novato, CA)
45. BEO Bancorp (Heppner, OR)
46. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (Lodi, CA)
47. First Robinson Financial Corp. (Robinson, IL)
48. Steuben Trust Corp. (Hornell, NY)
49. Security National Corporation (Dakota Dunes, SD)
50. Greene County Bancorp (MHC) (Catskill, NY)
51. Bank of Utica (Utica, NY)
52. Pacific Premier Bancorp (Irvine, CA)
53. Washington Banking Company (Oak Harbor, WA)
54. Jonestown Bank and Trust Co. (Jonestown, PA)
55. LCNB Corp. (Lebanon, OH)
56. Honat Bancorp, Inc. (Honesdale, PA)
57. Cashmere Valley Financial Corp. (Cashmere, WA)
58. Home Loan Financial Corp. (Coshocton, OH)
59. Northeast Bancorp (Lewiston, ME)
60. Horizon Bancorp (Michigan City, IN)
61. West Bancorporation (West Des Moines, IA)
62. Heartland BancCorp (Gahanna, OH)
63. First Keystone Corp. (Berwick, PA)
64. Mifflinburg Bank & Trust Co. (Mifflinburg, PA)
65. PSB Holdings (Wausau, WI)
66. CB Financial Services (Carmichaels, PA)
67. Bank of South Carolina Corp. (Charleston, SC)
68. Iowa First Bancshares Corp. (Muscatine, IA)
69. Citizens National Bancshares of Bossier (Bossier City, LA)
70. Northumberland Bancorp (Northumberland, PA)
71. Parke Bancorp (Sewell, NJ)
72. Dimeco (Honesdale, PA)
73. Ames National Corp. (Ames, IA)
74. First Bankers Trustshares (Quincy, IL)
75. Farmers and Merchants Bank (Upperco, MD)
76. Solvay Bank Corp. (Solvay, NY)
77. Centrix Bank & Trust (Bedford, NH)
78. Provident Financial Holdings (Riverside, CA)
79. Commercial Bancshares (Upper Sandusky, OH)
80. Community Bank Shares of Indiana (New Albany, IN)
81. F&M Bank Corp. (Timberville, VA)
82. Jeff Davis Bancshares (Jennings, LA)
83. Community Bancorp. (Newport, VT)
84. GNB Financial Services (Gratz, PA)
85. F.S. Bancorp (LaGrange, IN)
86. Bar Harbor Bankshares (Bar Harbor, ME)
87. Denver Bankshares (Denver, CO)
88. Siuslaw Financial Group (Florence, OR)
89. Alerus Financial Corp. (Grand Forks, ND)
90. Norwood Financial Corp. (Honesdale, PA)
91. Pioneer Bankshares (Stanley, VA)
92. Rockport National Bancorp (Rockport, MA)
93. Empire National Bank (Islandia, NY)
94. First Manitowoc Bancorp (Manitowoc, WI)
95. Bank of Kentucky Financial Corp. (Crestview Hills, KY)
96. Redwood Financial (Redwood Falls, MN)
97. County Commerce Bank (Ventura, CA)
98. Adirondack Trust Co. (Saratoga Springs, NY)
99. CCFNB Bancorp (Bloomsburg, PA)
100. Center Bancorp (Union, NJ)
101. Keweenaw Financial Corp. (Hancock, MI)
102. Evans Bancorp (Hamburg, NY)
103. Santa Cruz County Bank (Santa Cruz, CA)
104. Middlefield Banc Corp. (Middlefield, OH)
105. Teche Holding Co. (New Iberia, LA)
106. Consumers Bancorp (Minerva, OH)
107. Southeastern Bank Financial Corp. (Augusta, GA)
108. First Business Financial Services (Madison, WI)
109. United Tennessee Bankshares (Newport, TN)
110. Luzerne National Bank Corp. (Luzerne, PA)
111. NorthWest Indiana Bancorp (Munster, IN)
112. First Menasha Bancshares (Neenah, WI)
113. Northrim BanCorp (Anchorage, AK)
114. First Sentry Bancshares (Huntington, WV)
115. Auburn National Bancorporation (Auburn, AL)
116. First BancTrust Corp. (Paris, IL)
117. Blue Ridge Bankshares (Luray, VA)
118. Harleysville Savings Financial Corp.(Harleysville, PA)
119. Chemung Financial Corp. (Elmira, NY)
120. DNB Financial Corp. (Downingtown, PA)
121. Enterprise Bancorp (Lowell, MA)
122. Farmers National Banc Corp. (Canfield, OH)
123. Bay Commercial Bank (Walnut Creek, CA)
124. Kish Bancorp (Reedsville, PA)
125. Greater Hudson Bank, National Association (Middletown, NY)
126. Avidbank Holdings (Palo Alto, CA)
127. Independent Alliance Banks (Fort Wayne, IN)
128. American Riviera Bank (Santa Barbara, CA)
129. Northeast Indiana Bancorp (Huntington, IN)
130. Peoples Limited (Wyalusing, PA)
131. Tower Financial Corp. (Fort Wayne, IN)
132. Merchants Financial Group (Winona, MN)
133. ACNB Corp. (Gettysburg, PA)
134. Mercantile Bank Corp. (Grand Rapids, MI)
135. FFD Financial Corp. (Dover, OH)
136. ENB Financial Corp. (Ephrata, PA)
137. First Guaranty Bancshares (Hammond, LA)
138. Valley Financial Corp. (Roanoke, VA)
139. Fresno First Bank (Fresno, CA)
140. American National Bankshares (Danville, VA)
141. Mauch Chunk Trust Financial Corp. (Jim Thorpe, PA)
142. Hamlin Bank and Trust Co. (Smethport, PA)
143. Glen Burnie Bancorp (Glen Burnie, MD)
144. FNBPA Bancorp (Port Allegany, PA)
145. Tri City Bankshares Corp. (Oak Creek, WI)
146. Kentucky Bancshares (Paris, KY)
147. Juniata Valley Financial Corp. (Mifflintown, PA)
148. Penseco Financial Services Corp. (Scranton, PA)
149. Ballston Spa Bancorp (Ballston Spa, NY)
150. Glenville Bank Holding Company (Scotia, NY)
151. First Internet Bancorp (Indianapolis, IN)
152. ESB Financial Corp. (Ellwood City, PA)
153. Codorus Valley Bancorp (York, PA)
154. Comunibanc Corp. (Napoleon, OH)
155. BancAffiliated (Arlington, TX)
156. Citizens Holding Co. (Philadelphia, MS)
157. Freedom Bank of Virginia (Fairfax, VA)
158. Community Business Bank (West Sacramento, CA)
159. FNB Bancorp (Newtown, PA)
160. First Mid-Illinois Bancshares (Mattoon, IL)
161. Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corp. (Bedminster, NJ)
162. Ohio Valley Banc Corp. (Gallipolis, OH)
163. Virginia National Bank (Charlottesville, VA)
164. Katahdin Bankshares Corp. (Patten, ME)
165. Orange County Bancorp (Middletown, NY)
166. Sutter Community Bank (Yuba City, CA)
167. Eagle Financial Services (Berryville, VA)
168. Merchants & Marine Bancorp (Pascagoula, MS)
169. Farmers Bank of Appomattox (Appomattox, VA)
170. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (Archbold, OH)
171. NBT Holdings (Nashville, TN)
172. MidWestOne Financial Group (Iowa City, IA)
173. Elmira Savings Bank (Elmira, NY)
174. Northway Financial (North Conway, NH)
175. CBT Financial Corp. (Clearfield, PA)
176. MNB Holdings Corp. (San Francisco, CA)
177. FC Banc Corp. (Bucyrus, OH)
178. Minden Bancorp (Minden, LA)
179. Middlebury National Corp. (Middlebury, VT)
180. BCB Bancorp Bayonne, NJ
181. River Valley Bancorp (Madison, IN)
182. Oak Valley Bancorp (Oakdale, CA)
183. BankGuam Holding Co. (Hagatna, GU)
184. First Bancorp (Damariscotta, ME)
185. Pascack Bancorp (Waldwick, NJ)
186. Hocking Valley Bancshares (Athens, OH)
187. First Capital (Corydon, IN)
188. High Country Bancorp (Salida, CO)
189. New Hampshire Thrift Bancshares (Newport, NH)
190. Georgia-Carolina Bancshares (Augusta, GA)
191. Neffs Bancorp (Neffs, PA)
192. Benton Financial Corp. (Fowler, IN)
193. Premier Valley Bank (Fresno, CA)
194. CSB Bancorp (Millersburg, OH)
195. First West Virginia Bancorp (Wheeling, WV)
196. Community Bankers’ Corp. (Indiana, PA)
197. Old Line Bancshares (Bowie, MD)
198. Jacksonville Bancorp (Jacksonville, IL)
199. Citizens Bancorp (Corvallis, OR)
200. PSB Holding Corp. (Preston, MD)
Info: American Banker, www.americanbanker.com