Berkeley County, South Carolina, a core county of the Charleston-North Charleston, SC market, holds $2.2B in deposits across 15 insured institutions and 28 branches. SouthState Bank, National Association is the largest deposit holder at 21.4% share. The top three institutions hold 48.7% of deposits, which places the county in the moderately concentrated band. Deposits have grown 49.1% since 2020 while the branch count fell by 1. It produces $11.6B of output, ranking #329 of the 1,523 counties within a CSA or MSA by economic output.
Deposit trend
Branches: 29 in 2020 to 28 in 2025. Institutions: 13 to 15. Top-three share: 47.2% to 48.7%.
Leading institutions by deposits
| Institution | Deposits | Share | 5‑yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| SouthState Bank, National Association | $474M | 21.4% | +95% |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $365M | 16.5% | +44% |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $239M | 10.8% | +19% |
| Farmers and Merchants Bank of South Carolina | $222M | 10.0% | +38% |
| Synovus Bank | $212M | 9.6% | +113% |
| Truist Bank | $150M | 6.8% | -26% |
| Bank of America, National Association | $133M | 6.0% | +27% |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $132M | 6.0% | no 2020 presence |
| Southern First Bank | $78M | 3.5% | no 2020 presence |
| FineMark National Bank & Trust | $67M | 3.0% | +33% |
The 10 insured institutions with a branch presence in this county, as of June 30, 2025. Five-year change compares the same institution’s county deposits in 2020 and 2025. Institutions are tracked by FDIC certificate number, and where an institution acquired another bank, the acquired bank’s prior deposits are folded into the baseline so the change reflects the combined, continuing franchise rather than reading as new. Even so, a large gain can reflect acquisition rather than competitive growth; “no 2020 presence” means neither the institution nor a bank it later absorbed reported deposits in this county that year.
Part of the Charleston-North Charleston market
Berkeley County is one of 3 counties that make up the Charleston-North Charleston, SC market, a Metropolitan Statistical Area (ranked #68 of 293 U.S. markets by economic output). It produces 20.5% of the market’s output and holds 9.6% of its deposits.
| Measure | Berkeley County | Share of Charleston-North Charleston market |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 GDP | $11.6B | 20.5% |
| Deposits | $2.2B | 9.6% |
| Population | 274,666 | 30.9% |
View the full Charleston-North Charleston market profile →
Recruiting in Berkeley County
Deposits are split among a moderate number of institutions. Who holds the deposits, and how contested the market is, shapes both the runway for growth and the competition you would be recruiting against. We recruit commercial relationship managers, banking teams, and market leaders for banks building in markets like Berkeley County, on a retained basis.
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