Charleston-North Charleston, SC holds $23.1 billion in deposits across 38 insured institutions and 198 branches, ranking #68 of 293 U.S. markets by economic output. Wells Fargo Bank is the largest deposit holder at 18.4% share. The top three institutions hold 45.7% of deposits, which places the market in the moderate band. Deposits have grown 32% since 2020 while the branch count rose by 9.
Deposit trend
Branches: 189 in 2020 to 198 in 2025. Institutions: 33 to 38. Top-three share: 51.5% to 45.7%. Deposits per branch: $117M.
Leading institutions by deposits
| Institution | Deposits | Share | 5‑yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank | 4.3B | 18.4% | +8% |
| Bank of America | 3.2B | 13.9% | +17% |
| SouthState Bank | 3.1B | 13.3% | +34% |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | 1.6B | 7.1% | +46% |
| Truist Bank | 1.5B | 6.6% | -3% |
| Pinnacle Bank | 1.2B | 5.4% | +70% |
| Synovus Bank | 0.9B | 4.0% | +25% |
| First Capital Bank | 0.8B | 3.2% | +564% |
| Southern First Bank | 0.7B | 3.1% | +44% |
| Beacon Community Bank | 0.7B | 2.9% | +306% |
The 10 largest of 38 insured institutions with a branch presence, as of June 30, 2025. Five-year change compares the same institution's deposits in 2020 and 2025; an acquirer absorbs the balances of banks it bought.
Counties in this market
| County | State | GDP | Population | Share of GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston County | South Carolina | $39,771M | 436,200 | 70.3% |
| Berkeley County | South Carolina | $11,596M | 274,666 | 20.5% |
| Dorchester County | South Carolina | $5,241M | 178,397 | 9.3% |
Recruiting in Charleston
Deposits are neither closely held nor widely dispersed, which usually leaves room for a well-led team to take share without competing head-on with a dominant holder. 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 this one, on a retained basis.
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