Community Banking Bulletin
Provides insights on trends or activities of primary interest to the community banking industry.
Recent Highlights and Features
Highlight: Overhead costs weigh more heavily on smaller banks
Non-interest expenses are increasing across community banks, particularly in non-itemized expense categories. Smaller banks...
Highlight: Asset quality metrics continue to normalize following pandemic-era distortions
Community bank asset quality metrics are normalizing following a period of historically elevated allowance levels and...
Highlight: Community bank mergers increased in 2025
Community bank mergers accelerated in 2025, with sellers exhibiting lower profitability than acquirers.
Highlight: Asset mix similarities shared by banks under $30 billion
Banks between $10 and $30 billion in total assets possess more asset mix similarities to community banking organizations than...
Highlight: Community bank capital ratios among historic highs
Tier 1 leverage ratios across community banks continue to increase, though levels vary across banks with differing operational...
Highlight: Community bank focus on small business lending
Despite a sector-wide downward trend in the allocation to small business lending, community banks continue to hold the highest...
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For questions and comments, please contact KC.SRM.SRA.CommunityBankingBulletin@kc.frb.org.