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Best Banks & Credit Unions in North Carolina

Compare the best banks and credit unions in North Carolina — up to 3.90% APY, verified fees, minimums, and membership rules from 31+ local institutions.

North Carolina banking splits between the giant national-bank headquarters — Bank of America in Charlotte and Truist (formerly BB&T) in Winston-Salem — and a powerful credit-union sector led by State Employees' Credit Union (SECU), the second-largest CU in the country by assets. SECU's field of membership covers all NC state employees and their families, creating a massive in-state deposit base. The North Carolina Commissioner of Banks regulates state-chartered institutions, and all carry FDIC or NCUA insurance to $250,000.

State regulator: North Carolina Commissioner of Banks. Every institution below is FDIC- or NCUA-insured to $250,000.

Best banks and credit unions in North Carolina 2026

Every bank with a branch in North Carolina

83 FDIC-insured banks run 1,977 full-service offices in North Carolina. 46 of them are community banks, and 30 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 North Carolina

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

Branches by town in North Carolina

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 North Carolina

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

Charlotte

Fayetteville

Winston Salem

Asheville

Gastonia

Greensboro

High Point

Raleigh

Durham

Greenville

Mooresville

Wilmington

Davidson

Wake Forest

Winston-Salem

Every credit union with an office in North Carolina

93 federally insured credit unions run 701 offices in North Carolina, between them serving 26,886,821 members. 66 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 North Carolina 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. North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina cities

North Carolina banking FAQ — credit unions, rates & insurance

How do I join State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) in North Carolina?

SECU membership requires current or former employment with a North Carolina state agency, public school, or university — or being a family member of an existing SECU member. It is not open to the general public, but given the size of NC's public-sector workforce, a large share of state residents qualify through family connections.

Does North Carolina tax savings-account interest?

Yes. North Carolina has a flat 4.5% state income tax that applies to interest income. While moderate by national standards, it does reduce net yield — a 4.75% APY nets roughly 2.82% after combined federal and state tax for a top-bracket NC earner.

Why are North Carolina credit unions so dominant in deposit rates?

SECU and LGFCU together have over 3 million members in a state of 10.7 million people — that scale lets them operate extremely efficiently and pass savings back as higher deposit rates. Their size also forces competing institutions (Truist, First Bank) to price more aggressively on deposits than they might otherwise.

Are North Carolina bank deposits federally insured?

Yes. All NC state-chartered banks carry FDIC insurance and credit unions carry NCUA insurance, both up to $250,000 per depositor per ownership category. The NC Commissioner of Banks supervises state-chartered institutions.

Related guides for North Carolina 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.