Wilmington, NC holds $26.4 billion in deposits across 24 insured institutions and 93 branches, ranking #116 of 293 U.S. markets by economic output. Live Oak Banking Company is the largest deposit holder at 47.9% share. The top three institutions hold 74.1% of deposits, which places the market in the concentrated band. Deposits have grown 70% since 2020 while the branch count fell by 13.
Deposit trend
Branches: 106 in 2020 to 93 in 2025. Institutions: 21 to 24. Top-three share: 67.5% to 74.1%. Deposits per branch: $284M.
Leading institutions by deposits
| Institution | Deposits | Share | 5‑yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Oak Banking Company | 12.6B | 47.9% | +115% |
| Truist Bank | 5.1B | 19.5% | +92% |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | 1.8B | 6.7% | +31% |
| Wells Fargo Bank | 1.6B | 5.9% | -18% |
| Bank of America | 1.0B | 3.9% | +7% |
| First Bank | 1.0B | 3.6% | +64% |
| First National Bank of Pennsylvania | 0.8B | 3.2% | +73% |
| PNC Bank | 0.6B | 2.1% | +25% |
| United Bank | 0.4B | 1.6% | +82% |
| SouthState Bank | 0.4B | 1.5% | +16% |
The 10 largest of 24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hanover County | North Carolina | $16,494M | 245,959 | 67.0% |
| Brunswick County | North Carolina | $6,213M | 174,702 | 25.2% |
| Pender County | North Carolina | $1,906M | 72,111 | 7.7% |
Recruiting in Wilmington
Deposits are held closely by the largest institutions, which often means the bankers worth recruiting are inside a small number of houses. 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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