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Best Banks & Credit Unions in New York

Compare the best banks and credit unions in New York: up to 3.70% APY, verified fees, minimums, and membership rules from 40+ local institutions.

New York banking breaks into two tiers: the big New York City banks, such as JPMorgan Chase and Citi, and regional and community banks across upstate metros like Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, where M&T, based in Buffalo, and Cleveland-based KeyBank are familiar names. On Long Island, FourLeaf Federal Credit Union, known as Bethpage until March 2025, calls itself the largest credit union in the Northeast and accepts anyone who opens a $5 savings account. State-chartered deposits answer to the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), which also regulates insurers and virtual currency companies.

State regulator: New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). Every institution below is FDIC- or NCUA-insured to $250,000.

Best banks and credit unions in New York 2026

Every bank with a branch in New York

176 FDIC-insured banks run 3,893 full-service offices in New York. 109 of them are community banks, and 84 operate nowhere else. This is the federal record: every figure below is the regulator's own.

Deposits by office come from the FDIC Summary of Deposits, counted each 30 June; the leverage ratio is capital as a share of assets, from each bank's latest Call Report. Nothing here is blended into a score. Search by ZIP to see the offices nearest you.

Every bank we publish a page for in New York

49 of them, largest first. Each page carries the bank's own Call Report figures and every office it runs.

Branches by town in New York

Where a bank runs more than one office in a town, every one of them is listed on a page of its own.

Branch pages in New York

Every office we publish a page for in New York, by town. Each carries what that branch holds, when it opened and the other branches within five miles.

New York

Buffalo

Patchogue

Rochester

Beacon

Binghamton

Bronx

Cohoes

East Islip

Glen Head

Glens Falls

Hauppauge

Hicksville

Nanuet

Nyack

Saratoga Springs

Sayville

Scarsdale

Scotia

Sleepy Hollow

Smithtown

Solvay

Suffern

Syracuse

Utica

Westbury

Yonkers

Every credit union with an office in New York

307 federally insured credit unions run 1,101 offices in New York, between them serving 27,086,284 members. 142 carry the NCUA's low-income designation. Figures are from each credit union's own NCUA Call Report.

A credit union is measured differently from a bank and the numbers are not interchangeable: the net worth ratio here is the NCUA's capital measure under 12 CFR 702, where 7% is well capitalised, and shares are the credit union equivalent of deposits. Membership usually turns on where you live or work, so a local credit union is often open to you even when its name suggests otherwise.

What makes a New York bank account worth opening

Look at four things in order: the APY (does it beat the FDIC national average of about 0.60%?), the monthly fee (anything above $0 should come with a clear waiver path), the minimum opening deposit, and the membership rule for credit unions. New York residents typically qualify for at least one large state-chartered credit union on residency alone, and that credit union is often the highest-APY option available locally.

Is my money safe at a New York bank or credit union?

Yes, if the institution is federally insured. FDIC covers banks up to $250,000 per depositor, per ownership category; NCUA covers credit unions at the same limits. Every institution in this directory carries one of those insurances. The FDIC or NCUA ID is listed on the full provider row.

Best banks in New York cities

New York banking FAQ: credit unions, rates & insurance

Which New York credit unions have the most open field of membership?

FourLeaf Federal Credit Union, the Long Island credit union called Bethpage until March 2025, is open to everyone: open a $5 savings account and you're a member. Municipal Credit Union takes anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in New York City, employees of New York State or federal agencies based in New York, and family or household members of existing members.

Why is New York's banking regulation different from other states?

Mostly because one agency covers so much. The Department of Financial Services, created in 2011 when New York merged its Banking and Insurance Departments, regulates banks, credit unions, insurers and virtual currency companies, and writes its own rules, including a 2017 cybersecurity regulation (23 NYCRR Part 500) and a 2015 virtual currency licensing regime. For depositors, the protection that matters is still FDIC or NCUA insurance.

Do upstate New York banks offer better rates than NYC branches?

Sometimes. Upstate lenders such as Buffalo-based M&T and community banks such as Adirondack Trust set their own CD specials and fee schedules, which can differ from what the big New York City banks offer. Location alone doesn't decide it: compare the specific account, its rate, its fees and its balance minimums, and check online banks too.

Are New York state-chartered bank deposits federally insured?

Yes. Every retail-deposit-taking bank chartered by NYDFS is required to carry FDIC insurance up to $250,000 per depositor, per ownership category. State-chartered credit unions carry NCUA insurance at the same limits. NYDFS supervises state-chartered institutions, but federal insurance is the coverage that protects depositors.

Related guides for New York savers

Rates and fees change frequently. Confirm current figures directly with each institution before applying, and see our editorial methodology for how this directory is built and maintained.