Santa Barbara County, California, a core county of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA market, holds $14.1B in deposits across 20 insured institutions and 87 branches. JPMorgan Chase Bank is the largest deposit holder at 18.2% share. The top three banks hold 49% of deposits, which places the county in the Moderate band. Deposits have fallen 16.8% since 2021 while the branch count fell by 3.3%. It produced $33.5B of real gross domestic product in 2024, ranking #139 of the 1,523 ranked counties 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: 90 in 2021 to 87 in 2026. Institutions: 20 to 20. Top-three share: 46% to 49%.
Institutions by deposits
| Institution | Deposits | Share | 5‑yr deposits |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan Chase Bank | $2.6B | 18.2% | -4% |
| Wells Fargo Bank | $2.2B | 15.8% | -27% |
| Bank of America | $2.1B | 15.2% | -13% |
| U.S. Bank | $1.6B | 11.4% | -33% |
| Montecito Bank & Trust | $1.5B | 10.4% | -14% |
| Mechanics Bank | $1.1B | 7.6% | -15% |
| American Riviera Bank | $780M | 5.5% | +3% |
| Columbia Bank | $619M | 4.4% | -7% |
| Community Bank of Santa Maria | $350M | 2.5% | +3% |
| Community West Bank | $321M | 2.3% | -44% |
| Banc of California | $313M | 2.2% | +13% |
| First Bank | $175M | 1.2% | -2% |
| The Northern Trust Company | $135M | 1.0% | -43% |
| Farmers and Merchants Bank of Long Beach | $102M | 0.7% | +110% |
| MidFirst Bank | $66M | 0.5% | no 2021 presence |
| BMO Bank | $55M | 0.4% | -79% |
| Bank of the Sierra | $45M | 0.3% | -25% |
| Citizens Business Bank | $32M | 0.2% | +51% |
| Poppy Bank | $26M | 0.2% | no 2021 presence |
| CalPrivate Bank | $9M | 0.1% | no 2021 presence |
The 20 insured institutions with a branch presence in this county, per the FDIC Summary of Deposits, June 30, 2026. Five-year change compares the same institution’s county deposits in 2021 and 2026. 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. “No 2021 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara market
Santa Barbara County is the only county in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA market, a Metropolitan Statistical Area (ranked #92 of 293 U.S. markets by economic output). It produces 100.0% of the market’s output and holds 100.0% of its deposits.
| Measure | Santa Barbara County | Share of parent market |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 GDP | $33.5B | 100.0% |
| Deposits | $14.1B | 100.0% |
| Population | 442,065 | 100.0% |
View the full Santa Maria-Santa Barbara market profile →
Recruiting in Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara County.
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