Credit Unions Pared Branches in Northeast in Q4
Nationwide, credit unions added 31 branches from September to December.
Credit unions ended the year with 21,911 branches, a net gain of 31 from September, but the count continued to decline in the Northeast part of the U.S.
The expansion makes a gain of 163 branches for the year, but NCUA data shows credit unions are still short of their peak of 22,015 branches in December 2019.
Credit unions lost 449 branches from December 2019 to December 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and since then have gained 345 branches.
The changes have been uneven by region:
- The Northeast had 3,577 branches Dec. 31, 19 fewer than on Sept. 30, including 11 lost in New York. It lost 87 branches in the 12 months ending December 2020 and since then has lost 104 more branches.
- The Midwest had 5,562 branches Dec. 31, five more than September, including a gain of 12 in Michigan. It lost 96 branches in the 12 months ending December 2020 and since then has gained 76 branches.
- The South had 7,925 branches Dec. 31, 36 more than September, including a gain of 12 in Texas. It lost 159 branches in the 12 months ending December 2020 and since then has gained 212.
- The West had 4,796 branches Dec. 31, nine more than September. It lost 106 branches in the 12 months ending December 2020 and since then has gained 161.
Meanwhile, credit unions continue to open branches in 2024. Three of the credit unions with branch openings this month were:
- Los Angeles Federal Credit Union of Glendale, Calif. ($1.3 billion in assets, 75,377 members as of Dec. 31), which opened a branch in Montebello in the west San Gabriel Valley March 12. It’s the credit union’s eighth branch in Los Angeles County.
- UW Credit Union of Madison, Wis. ($5.3 billion in assets, 348,036 members), which opened its Southbridge branch in the Village of Greendale March 11. The new branch by Southridge Mall is UW Credit Union’s 12th branch in the greater Milwaukee area and increases its total branch count to 33. The credit union plans to add three more branches in the Milwaukee area by the end of 2025.
- VyStar Credit Union of Jacksonville, Fla. ($13.6 billion in assets, 926,588 members) announced Tuesday it has opened a branch in Smyrna, Ga., its first branch in Cobb County. Plans for the branch were announced last September.
This is VyStar’s third full-service branch in metro Atlanta, joining branches in Stockbridge and Suwanee.
“We’re excited to open our Smyrna branch and expand the credit union’s presence in Metro Atlanta,” EVP/COO Chad Meadows said.