Merced County, California, a core county of the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA market, holds $3.3B in deposits across 10 insured institutions and 25 branches. Westamerica Bank is the largest deposit holder at 18.0% share. The top three institutions hold 50.2% of deposits, which places the county in the moderately concentrated band. Deposits have grown 20.2% since 2020 while the branch count fell by 4. It produces $10.3B of output, ranking #351 of the 1,523 counties within a CSA or MSA by economic output.
Deposit trend
Branches: 29 in 2020 to 25 in 2025. Institutions: 10 to 10. Top-three share: 50.7% to 50.2%.
Leading institutions by deposits
| Institution | Deposits | Share | 5‑yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westamerica Bank | $599M | 18.0% | +12% |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $597M | 18.0% | +66% |
| Bank of America, National Association | $471M | 14.2% | +9% |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $471M | 14.2% | +10% |
| Mechanics Bank | $332M | 10.0% | +16% |
| Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California | $306M | 9.2% | +19% |
| Citibank, National Association | $278M | 8.4% | +18% |
| Tri Counties Bank | $111M | 3.3% | +52% |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $102M | 3.1% | -11% |
| Community West Bank | $53M | 1.6% | +52% |
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 San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland market
Merced County is one of 13 counties that make up the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA market, a Combined Statistical Area (ranked #3 of 293 U.S. markets by economic output). It produces 0.8% of the market’s output and holds 0.5% of its deposits.
| Measure | Merced County | Share of San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland market |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 GDP | $10.3B | 0.8% |
| Deposits | $3.3B | 0.5% |
| Population | 297,260 | 3.3% |
View the full San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland market profile →
Recruiting in Merced 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 Merced County, on a retained basis.
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