Story County, Iowa, a core county of the Des Moines-West Des Moines-Ames, IA market, holds $3.1B in deposits across 21 insured institutions and 37 branches. First National Bank, Ames, Iowa is the largest deposit holder at 20.6% share. The top three institutions hold 42.9% of deposits, which places the county in the fragmented band. Deposits have grown 8.2% since 2020. It produces $6.1B of output, ranking #518 of the 1,523 counties within a CSA or MSA by economic output.
Deposit trend
Branches: 37 in 2020 to 37 in 2025. Institutions: 19 to 21. Top-three share: 44.8% to 42.9%.
Leading institutions by deposits
| Institution | Deposits | Share | 5‑yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| First National Bank, Ames, Iowa | $635M | 20.6% | +5% |
| U.S. Bank National Association | $349M | 11.3% | -4% |
| South Story Bank & Trust | $340M | 11.0% | +50% |
| VISIONBANK OF IOWA | $301M | 9.8% | +54% |
| Availa Bank | $296M | 9.6% | +60% |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $261M | 8.4% | -15% |
| State Bank & Trust Co. | $172M | 5.6% | +7% |
| Bankers Trust Company | $147M | 4.8% | -34% |
| First Interstate Bank | $138M | 4.5% | -43% |
| Reliance State Bank | $104M | 3.4% | +18% |
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 organic growth; “no 2020 presence” means neither the institution nor a bank it later absorbed reported deposits in this county that year.
Part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines-Ames market
Story County is one of 10 counties that make up the Des Moines-West Des Moines-Ames, IA market, a Combined Statistical Area (ranked #53 of 293 U.S. markets by economic output). It produces 8.4% of the market’s output and holds 7.6% of its deposits.
| Measure | Story County | Share of Des Moines-West Des Moines-Ames market |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 GDP | $6.1B | 8.4% |
| Deposits | $3.1B | 7.6% |
| Population | 101,291 | 10.7% |
View the full Des Moines-West Des Moines-Ames market profile →
Recruiting in Story County
Deposits are spread across a competitive field of institutions, so the bankers worth recruiting are dispersed across more of them. 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 Story County, on a retained basis.
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