Forrest County, Mississippi, a core county of the Hattiesburg-Laurel, MS market, holds $2.2B in deposits across 14 insured institutions and 28 branches. Cadence Bank is the largest deposit holder at 30.6% share. The top three institutions hold 65.4% of deposits, which places the county in the concentrated band. Deposits have grown 19.5% since 2020 while the branch count fell by 2. It produces $3.8B of output, ranking #695 of the 1,523 counties within a CSA or MSA by economic output.
Ranks show where the county stands among the 1,523 ranked counties (those within a Combined or Metropolitan Statistical Area that have a branch). They describe relative position, not a rating of market quality or suitability.
Deposit trend
Branches: 30 in 2020 to 28 in 2025. Institutions: 13 to 14. Top-three share: 67.4% to 65.4%.
Leading institutions by deposits
| Institution | Deposits | Share | 5‑yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadence Bank | $679M | 30.6% | +30% |
| Renasant Bank | $392M | 17.7% | no 2020 presence |
| Regions Bank | $380M | 17.1% | +14% |
| Trustmark National Bank | $285M | 12.8% | -29% |
| Hancock Whitney Bank | $128M | 5.8% | -48% |
| Wells Fargo Bank | $114M | 5.1% | +92% |
| Magnolia State Bank | $64M | 2.9% | +26% |
| Community Bank of Mississippi | $48M | 2.2% | +50% |
| Great Southern Bank | $26M | 1.2% | -9% |
| BankFirst Financial Services | $26M | 1.1% | +1,400% |
The 10 largest of 14 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 organic growth; “no 2020 presence” means neither the institution nor a bank it later absorbed reported deposits in this county that year. Deposit figures are nominal and are not adjusted for inflation.
Part of the Hattiesburg-Laurel market
Forrest County is one of 5 counties that make up the Hattiesburg-Laurel, MS market, a Combined Statistical Area (ranked #198 of 293 U.S. markets by economic output). It produces 39.2% of the market’s output and holds 34.4% of its deposits.
| Measure | Forrest County | Share of parent market |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 GDP | $3.8B | 39.2% |
| Deposits | $2.2B | 34.4% |
| Population | 79,034 | 32.9% |
View the full Hattiesburg-Laurel market profile →
Recruiting in Forrest County
Deposits are held closely by the largest banks, which often means the bankers worth recruiting are inside a small 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 Forrest County, on a retained basis.
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