/images/2023/09/14/woman_using_laptop.jpg)
/images/2019/12/06/smart_strategies_to_save_money_on_car_insurance.jpg)
/images/2026/07/09/banking_access_header.png)
/authors/josh-koebert-headshot_fevhyqJ.jpg)
/authors/melinda_sineriz_headshot.jpg)
/authors/doug-woodall-headshot_jqQX5QB.jpg)
Add Us On Google
As banks close branches nationwide in favor of banking apps and online-only accounts, how easy it still is to walk into a branch depends heavily on where you live. Across the United States, the disparity in banking access can be huge, as there are more than four times as many brick-and-mortar banks available to residents of the state with the most banking access (Nebraska, 51.7 banks per 100,000 people) compared to people in the state with the least access (Nevada, 12.2 banks per 100,000).
The FinanceBuzz research team analyzed the total number of physical bank branches and the population in each state to calculate per-capita branch density, then ranked all 50 states and Washington, D.C., from most to least accessible.
/images/2024/07/31/sofi_logo_-_cropped.png){kind=logo}
Key findings
- Nebraska has the most bank branches per capita of any state, 51.7 per 100,000 residents.
- North Dakota (51.5) and South Dakota (45.9) rank second and third, keeping the top of the list concentrated in the Great Plains.
- Nevada has the fewest branches per capita of any state, just 12.2 per 100,000 residents.
- California, despite having the most total bank branches of any state (5,493), ranks near the bottom for access per capita, with just 14.0 branches per 100,000 people.
- Eight of the 10 states with the fewest branches per capita are in the Western part of the country.
Which states have the most and fewest bank branches per capita?
FinanceBuzz mapped out where residents have the most and least banking access per capita using FDIC data. Nebraska tops the list at 51.7 branches per 100,000. See the full map below.
According to the FDIC, more than 95% of households in the United States hold an account with a traditional bank. While nearly everyone in the country has a bank account, that doesn't mean everyone has the same variety of banks or the same ease of access to banking.
When it comes to banking accessibility, one region of the country stands out. Each of the four states with the highest number of banks per 100,000 residents is located in the Great Plains region of the country, with Nebraska leading the way at 51.7 banks per 100,000 residents. The two Dakotas claim the silver and bronze medals in this regard, as North Dakota is the only state other than Nebraska with more than 50 banks per 100,000 people at 51.5, while South Dakota has the third-most banks per capita at 45.9. Kansas is fourth at 45.1 banks per 100,000, while Iowa, which borders both Nebraska and South Dakota, rounds out the top five with 43.8 bank locations for every 100,000 residents.
States with the most bank branches per capita
1. Nebraska
- Branches per 100,000 people: 51.7
- Total branches: 1,044
2. North Dakota
- Branches per 100,000 people: 51.5
- Total branches: 412
3. South Dakota
- Branches per 100,000 people: 45.9
- Total branches: 429
4. Kansas
- Branches per 100,000 people: 45.1
- Total branches: 1,342
5. Iowa
- Branches per 100,000 people: 43.8
- Total branches: 1,419
6. Arkansas
- Branches per 100,000 people: 41.4
- Total branches: 1,290
7. Wyoming
- Branches per 100,000 people: 36.3
- Total branches: 214
8. Mississippi
- Branches per 100,000 people: 35.8
- Total branches: 1,059
9. Vermont
- Branches per 100,000 people: 34.0
- Total branches: 219
10. Missouri
- Branches per 100,000 people: 33.5
- Total branches: 2,102
Where banking access is most limited in the United States
While the states with the best access to banks relative to population size tend to be located in the middle of the country, the least-served states cluster heavily in the West. Each of the top eight states with the fewest bank branches per 100,000 people is located in the American West, with Nevada's 12.2 bank branches per 100,000 residents being the lowest rate in the country.
Arizona has the second-lowest number of banks per 100,000 at 12.7, while California is third at 14.0. The other Western states in the bottom 10 are Utah (14.2 per 100,000), Hawaii (15.1), Alaska (15.3), Oregon (16.8), and Washington (17.0). The only states on the list located outside of the West are North Carolina (17.8 banks per 100,000 people) and Georgia (17.9).
States with the fewest bank branches per capita
1. Nevada
- Branches per 100,000 people: 12.2
- Total branches: 400
2. Arizona
- Branches per 100,000 people: 12.7
- Total branches: 969
3. California
- Branches per 100,000 people: 14.0
- Total branches: 5,493
4. Utah
- Branches per 100,000 people: 14.2
- Total branches: 504
5. Hawaii
- Branches per 100,000 people: 15.1
- Total branches: 217
6. Alaska
- Branches per 100,000 people: 15.3
- Total branches: 113
7. Oregon
- Branches per 100,000 people: 16.8
- Total branches: 720
8. Washington
- Branches per 100,000 people: 17.0
- Total branches: 1,363
9. North Carolina
- Branches per 100,000 people: 17.8
- Total branches: 1,989
10. Georgia
- Branches per 100,000 people: 17.9
- Total branches: 2,024
Why branch access varies so much by state
A few forces explain the gap between the most- and least-served states.
- Rural Plains and Midwest states built dense community-bank networks decades ago, and many of those branches remain even as populations have stayed flat or declined.
- Fast-growing Sun Belt and Western states have added residents much faster than banks have added branches, diluting per-capita access.
- Branch closures nationwide have hit low-margin, low-traffic locations hardest, a trend more likely to affect areas that already have fewer branches to begin with.
- Digital banking adoption is generally higher in tech-forward Western states, reducing the pressure on banks to maintain a large branch footprint there.
The pattern suggests that where a bank chooses to put branches has followed population growth patterns from decades ago more than where people live today.
Full ranking: Bank branches per 100,000 residents, by state
| State | Total Bank Locations | Population | Banks per 100,000 |
| Alabama | 1,343 | 5,193,088 | 25.9 |
| Alaska | 113 | 737,270 | 15.3 |
| Arizona | 969 | 7,623,818 | 12.7 |
| Arkansas | 1,290 | 3,114,791 | 41.4 |
| California | 5,493 | 39,355,309 | 14.0 |
| Colorado | 1,350 | 6,012,561 | 22.5 |
| Connecticut | 932 | 3,688,496 | 25.3 |
| Delaware | 247 | 1,059,952 | 23.3 |
| District of Columbia | 180 | 693,645 | 25.9 |
| Florida | 4,259 | 23,462,518 | 18.2 |
| Georgia | 2,024 | 11,302,748 | 17.9 |
| Hawaii | 217 | 1,432,820 | 15.1 |
| Idaho | 397 | 2,029,733 | 19.6 |
| Illinois | 3,621 | 12,719,141 | 28.5 |
| Indiana | 1,741 | 6,973,333 | 25.0 |
| Iowa | 1,419 | 3,238,387 | 43.8 |
| Kansas | 1,342 | 2,977,220 | 45.1 |
| Kentucky | 1,453 | 4,606,864 | 31.5 |
| Louisiana | 1,325 | 4,618,189 | 28.7 |
| Maine | 432 | 1,414,874 | 30.5 |
| Maryland | 1,153 | 6,265,347 | 18.4 |
| Massachusetts | 1,887 | 7,154,084 | 26.4 |
| Michigan | 1,934 | 10,127,884 | 19.1 |
| Minnesota | 1,589 | 5,830,405 | 27.3 |
| Mississippi | 1,059 | 2,954,160 | 35.8 |
| Missouri | 2,102 | 6,270,541 | 33.5 |
| Montana | 369 | 1,144,694 | 32.2 |
| Nebraska | 1,044 | 2,018,006 | 51.7 |
| Nevada | 400 | 3,282,188 | 12.2 |
| New Hampshire | 379 | 1,415,342 | 26.8 |
| New Jersey | 2,258 | 9,548,215 | 23.6 |
| New Mexico | 405 | 2,125,498 | 19.1 |
| New York | 4,014 | 20,002,427 | 20.1 |
| North Carolina | 1,989 | 11,197,968 | 17.8 |
| North Dakota | 412 | 799,358 | 51.5 |
| Ohio | 3,020 | 11,900,510 | 25.4 |
| Oklahoma | 1,286 | 4,123,288 | 31.2 |
| Oregon | 720 | 4,273,586 | 16.8 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,338 | 13,059,432 | 25.6 |
| Rhode Island | 244 | 1,114,521 | 21.9 |
| South Carolina | 1,144 | 5,570,274 | 20.5 |
| South Dakota | 429 | 935,094 | 45.9 |
| Tennessee | 1,934 | 7,315,076 | 26.4 |
| Texas | 6,211 | 31,709,821 | 19.6 |
| Utah | 504 | 3,538,904 | 14.2 |
| Vermont | 219 | 644,663 | 34.0 |
| Virginia | 1,832 | 8,880,107 | 20.6 |
| Washington | 1,363 | 8,001,020 | 17.0 |
| West Virginia | 560 | 1,766,147 | 31.7 |
| Wisconsin | 1,645 | 5,972,787 | 27.5 |
| Wyoming | 214 | 588,753 | 36.3 |
| United States | 75,804 | 341,784,857 | 22.2 |
Bottom line
- Don't rely on branch access alone when choosing a bank. Some of the best online banks can offer the same or better service without needing a nearby branch.
- If you're in a low-access state, look for banking apps with strong ATM networks. Our review of the best banking apps highlights options built for people who bank primarily from their phone.
- Compare no-fee options if you're paying for convenience. Using one of the top free checking accounts can help offset the cost of banking somewhere with fewer choices.
Methodology
FinanceBuzz calculated branch density using branch location data from the FDIC BankFind Suite and state population figures, expressed as total bank branches per 100,000 residents.
/images/2025/04/28/capital_one-logo.wine_-_edited.png){kind=logo}
- Got about 5 minutes? That’s all the time it takes to open an account.6 <span>A rate of 3.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) applies to all account balances. Advertised rates are variable and effective as of 06/02/2026. Rates are subject to change at any time before or after account opening. The 360 Performance Savings account has no monthly cycle service charge and no minimum balance required to open or maintain the account.</span>
- There are no monthly fees to get between you and your money. Zero never sounded so good.
- With 24/7 access to your account, you can bank on your own schedule.