Short version: Of the 1,790 US banks holding at least $500M in assets that reported an efficiency ratio for Q2 2026, the 50th-lowest came in at 32.99%. The median across the same group was 59.48%. The top of the table is Beal Bank USA of Las Vegas, NV at 6.02%.
What you are looking at
The efficiency ratio is noninterest expense divided by revenue: how many cents a bank spends to earn a dollar. It is the closest thing banking has to a single operating-leverage number, and unlike most ratios it is one management controls directly.
Lower is better, so this list runs from the leanest upward. A number in the fifties is respectable for a full-service community bank; the low forties is genuinely good; below thirty usually means the bank is not full-service at all.
The ranking is built from the FFIEC call reports filed for the period ending June 30, 2026 - the same data the BankingLens dashboard serves, not a sample. Two screens are applied before anything is sorted. Banks under $500M in total assets are left out, because at that size a single lumpy quarter moves a ratio further than any strategy would and a national list becomes a list of accidents. And a charter has to be in the banking business to be ranked: deposits worth at least a quarter of its assets, or loans worth at least a quarter of its assets. That second screen removes 11 trust and custody charters this quarter, whose ratios are arithmetic rather than performance.
1,790 banks clear both screens and reported an efficiency ratio this quarter. 39 of the 50 below link to their own page, where the same figures sit beside the rest of the call report.
The 50 banks, ranked
Click a column header to sort. Efficiency ratio is the headline number; ROA is the check on whether the leanness reaches the bottom line.
| # | Bank | HQ | Asset band | Efficiency ratio | ROA | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beal Bank USA | Las Vegas, NV | $10B - $100B | 6.02% | 8.25% | $11.0B |
| 2 | Greene County Commercial Bank | Catskill, NY | $1B - $3B | 8.57% | 1.41% | $1.3B |
| 3 | Ameriprise Bank, FSB | Minneapolis, MN | $10B - $100B | 10.07% | 3.06% | $25.5B |
| 4 | Titan Bank | Mineral Wells, TX | $500M - $1B | 11.80% | 11.11% | $896M |
| 5 | Wells Fargo Bank South Central | Houston, TX | $1B - $3B | 14.50% | 1.62% | $2.6B |
| 6 | Charles Schwab Premier Bank, SSB | Westlake, TX | $10B - $100B | 14.86% | 1.53% | $26.6B |
| 7 | Square Financial Services, Inc. | Salt Lake City, UT | $1B - $3B | 15.44% | 37.37% | $2.1B |
| 8 | SMBC Manubank | Los Angeles, CA | $3B - $10B | 16.50% | -3.66% | $6.6B |
| 9 | Bmw Bank of North America | Salt Lake City, UT | $10B - $100B | 17.13% | 2.27% | $13.8B |
| 10 | Charles Schwab Bank, SSB | Westlake, TX | Over $100B | 17.57% | 1.31% | $250.8B |
| 11 | Prime Alliance Bank | Woods Cross, UT | $1B - $3B | 20.51% | 3.39% | $1.1B |
| 12 | Monet Bank | Plano, TX | $3B - $10B | 20.61% | 3.99% | $3.2B |
| 13 | State Bank of Texas | Irving, TX | $1B - $3B | 21.29% | 4.29% | $2.6B |
| 14 | Vermillion State Bank | Vermillion, MN | $500M - $1B | 22.99% | 2.56% | $931M |
| 15 | Wells Fargo National Bank West | Las Vegas, NV | $3B - $10B | 23.44% | 0.98% | $8.8B |
| 16 | First Credit Bank | West Hollywood, CA | $500M - $1B | 24.18% | 4.36% | $516M |
| 17 | John Deere Financial, F.S.B. | Middleton, WI | $3B - $10B | 24.77% | 3.10% | $4.9B |
| 18 | Morgan Stanley Private Bank | Purchase, NY | Over $100B | 24.96% | 1.13% | $250.4B |
| 19 | Charles Schwab Trust Bank | Westlake, TX | $10B - $100B | 25.44% | 2.05% | $10.5B |
| 20 | UBS Bank USA | Salt Lake City, UT | Over $100B | 26.34% | 1.09% | $124.4B |
| 21 | First National Bank of America | East Lansing, MI | $3B - $10B | 26.64% | 2.79% | $6.8B |
| 22 | Citizens Bank | Carthage, TN | $500M - $1B | 26.75% | 2.05% | $832M |
| 23 | Stifel Bank and Trust | Saint Louis, MO | $10B - $100B | 26.89% | 1.88% | $19.6B |
| 24 | Horizon Bank | Waverly, NE | $500M - $1B | 27.45% | 2.95% | $574M |
| 25 | Jonesboro State Bank | Jonesboro, LA | $1B - $3B | 27.52% | 1.91% | $1.3B |
| 26 | Medallion Bank | Salt Lake City, UT | $1B - $3B | 27.69% | 2.13% | $2.8B |
| 27 | RBC Bank (georgia) | Atlanta, GA | $3B - $10B | 27.81% | 2.47% | $9.6B |
| 28 | The Falls City National Bank | Falls City, TX | $500M - $1B | 28.49% | 2.04% | $597M |
| 29 | Malaga Bank, FSB | Palos Verdes Estates, CA | $1B - $3B | 29.04% | 1.69% | $1.4B |
| 30 | Optum Bank, Inc. | Draper, UT | $10B - $100B | 29.11% | 2.55% | $21.4B |
| 31 | Stifel Bank | Saint Louis, MO | $10B - $100B | 29.14% | 1.35% | $14.6B |
| 32 | Northbrook Bank & Trust Company | Northbrook, IL | $3B - $10B | 29.34% | 1.47% | $6.4B |
| 33 | Servisfirst Bank | Homewood, AL | $10B - $100B | 29.51% | 1.88% | $18.3B |
| 34 | Parke Bank | Sewell, NJ | $1B - $3B | 29.62% | 2.16% | $2.3B |
| 35 | Bank of New England | Salem, NH | $1B - $3B | 29.67% | 2.18% | $1.8B |
| 36 | Eaglemark Savings Bank | Reno, NV | $500M - $1B | 30.16% | 4.48% | $756M |
| 37 | Village Bank & Trust | Arlington Heights, IL | $3B - $10B | 30.31% | 2.07% | $3.6B |
| 38 | River City Bank | Sacramento, CA | $3B - $10B | 30.52% | 1.27% | $6.0B |
| 39 | The First National Bank of Mertzon | Mertzon, TX | $500M - $1B | 31.10% | 1.74% | $500M |
| 40 | The Yellowstone Bank | Laurel, MT | $1B - $3B | 31.18% | 2.98% | $1.3B |
| 41 | First General Bank | Rowland Heights, CA | $1B - $3B | 31.65% | 2.30% | $1.2B |
| 42 | The Pitney Bowes Bank Inc. | Salt Lake City, UT | $500M - $1B | 32.01% | 5.41% | $796M |
| 43 | American Plus Bank | Arcadia, CA | $500M - $1B | 32.10% | 1.80% | $935M |
| 44 | First American Trust, FSB | Santa Ana, CA | $3B - $10B | 32.20% | 1.47% | $9.2B |
| 45 | Quill Bank | Pleasant Grove, UT | $1B - $3B | 32.43% | 5.31% | $1.6B |
| 46 | Wheaton Bank & Trust Company | Wheaton, IL | $3B - $10B | 32.46% | 1.58% | $4.8B |
| 47 | The Bank of Commerce | Idaho Falls, ID | $1B - $3B | 32.94% | 2.12% | $2.3B |
| 48 | Heritage Bank | Wood River, NE | $500M - $1B | 32.95% | 2.60% | $612M |
| 49 | Preferred Bank | Los Angeles, CA | $3B - $10B | 32.96% | 1.69% | $7.7B |
| 50 | Sallie Mae Bank | Salt Lake City, UT | $10B - $100B | 32.99% | 2.78% | $28.5B |
Source: FFIEC call report data for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. Universe: US banks with $500M or more in total assets that reported an efficiency ratio and fund or lend like a bank. Sorted ascending, because lower is better.
Leaders by asset size
A single national list on a ratio like this is really a list of business models, and the largest banks and the smallest ones are not competing with each other for anything. These are the leaders inside each asset band, which is the comparison a bank of that size would actually make.
| # | Bank | HQ | Efficiency ratio | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500M - $1B · 745 banks · median 61.01% | ||||
| 1 | Titan Bank | Mineral Wells, TX | 11.80% | $896M |
| 2 | Vermillion State Bank | Vermillion, MN | 22.99% | $931M |
| 3 | First Credit Bank | West Hollywood, CA | 24.18% | $516M |
| 4 | Citizens Bank | Carthage, TN | 26.75% | $832M |
| 5 | Horizon Bank | Waverly, NE | 27.45% | $574M |
| $1B - $3B · 623 banks · median 60.80% | ||||
| 1 | Greene County Commercial Bank | Catskill, NY | 8.57% | $1.3B |
| 2 | Wells Fargo Bank South Central | Houston, TX | 14.50% | $2.6B |
| 3 | Square Financial Services, Inc. | Salt Lake City, UT | 15.44% | $2.1B |
| 4 | Prime Alliance Bank | Woods Cross, UT | 20.51% | $1.1B |
| 5 | State Bank of Texas | Irving, TX | 21.29% | $2.6B |
| $3B - $10B · 264 banks · median 56.56% | ||||
| 1 | SMBC Manubank | Los Angeles, CA | 16.50% | $6.6B |
| 2 | Monet Bank | Plano, TX | 20.61% | $3.2B |
| 3 | Wells Fargo National Bank West | Las Vegas, NV | 23.44% | $8.8B |
| 4 | John Deere Financial, F.S.B. | Middleton, WI | 24.77% | $4.9B |
| 5 | First National Bank of America | East Lansing, MI | 26.64% | $6.8B |
| $10B - $100B · 126 banks · median 55.70% | ||||
| 1 | Beal Bank USA | Las Vegas, NV | 6.02% | $11.0B |
| 2 | Ameriprise Bank, FSB | Minneapolis, MN | 10.07% | $25.5B |
| 3 | Charles Schwab Premier Bank, SSB | Westlake, TX | 14.86% | $26.6B |
| 4 | Bmw Bank of North America | Salt Lake City, UT | 17.13% | $13.8B |
| 5 | Charles Schwab Trust Bank | Westlake, TX | 25.44% | $10.5B |
| Over $100B · 32 banks · median 55.08% | ||||
| 1 | Charles Schwab Bank, SSB | Westlake, TX | 17.57% | $250.8B |
| 2 | Morgan Stanley Private Bank | Purchase, NY | 24.96% | $250.4B |
| 3 | UBS Bank USA | Salt Lake City, UT | 26.34% | $124.4B |
| 4 | Morgan Stanley Bank | Salt Lake City, UT | 36.83% | $419.3B |
| 5 | Synchrony Bank | Draper, UT | 36.84% | $115.2B |
What normal looks like
A ranking only means something against the middle of the distribution. These are the quartiles for efficiency ratio across every bank that filed for Q2 2026, including the thousands too small to appear above. The median bank reported 61.92%, with the middle half between 53.10% and 72.34%.
| Asset band | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $100M | 58.83% | 70.49% | 83.46% |
| $100M - $300M | 54.21% | 63.28% | 73.50% |
| $300M - $1B | 52.96% | 61.02% | 70.41% |
| $1B - $3B | 51.63% | 60.76% | 69.44% |
| $3B - $10B | 48.64% | 56.44% | 63.72% |
| $10B - $100B | 49.09% | 55.83% | 61.88% |
| Over $100B | 51.31% | 55.08% | 63.36% |
Source: BankingLens, computed from FFIEC call reports for the quarter ending June 30, 2026. Quartiles are calculated across the full population of filing banks in each size band, not sampled.
Why the top of the list looks like this
The leanest charters on this list are lean because of what they do not do. No branch network, no retail deposit-gathering operation, a handful of large relationships instead of tens of thousands of small ones - each of those removes a whole category of expense rather than trimming one. A single-office wholesale lender and a thousand-branch retail bank are not running the same race.
The second group is banks whose revenue line is unusually large relative to a normal cost base: specialty lenders and card charters whose yields carry the numerator down without any expense discipline being involved at all.
The genuinely impressive entries are the ordinary-looking banks. A full-service community or regional bank in the thirties or low forties, with branches and retail deposits and a normal loan book, has earned it, and tends to hold it across cycles because the discipline is structural rather than a one-quarter gain on a sale.
What the efficiency ratio does not tell you
The efficiency ratio can improve for bad reasons. Revenue is the denominator, so a quarter with a large securities gain or a one-off recovery flatters it, and a quarter of margin compression damages it even when expenses were flat. Read it as a trend, not a snapshot.
It also says nothing at all about credit. A bank can run a very low efficiency ratio and still lose money, because loan-loss provisions are not a noninterest expense and do not appear in the numerator. The ROA column beside the ranking is there to catch exactly that case.
Which is why a ranking is a starting point rather than an answer. Every bank above has a page here carrying its full call report picture, and Bank Peer Intel on the dashboard puts each figure against the peer group the bank is actually measured in - percentile rank on every metric, fourteen quarters of trend, and the flags an examiner reaches for first. That is how you tell a structural result from a good quarter.
Methodology
- Universe. Every US bank that filed a call report with the FFIEC for the quarter ending June 30, 2026.
- Size screen. Banks under $500M in total assets are excluded. A ranking of every filer on a raw ratio is topped by institutions small enough for one unusual quarter to move the number more than any decision they made.
- Banking screen. A charter is ranked only if deposits are at least 25% of assets or loans and leases are at least 25% of assets. 11 trust and custody charters over the size floor do neither: they file a call report but hold almost no deposits and make almost no loans, so their ratios are a function of near-empty denominators. Unusual but genuine banks - wholesale lenders, sweep-deposit banks, merchant lenders - clear it.
- Eligible. 1,790 banks cleared both screens and reported an efficiency ratio for the quarter.
- Efficiency ratio definition. Noninterest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and noninterest income, for the quarter, on the call report as filed. No adjustment is made for securities gains or one-off items.
- Ranking. Sorted by efficiency ratio ascending - a lower number is better for this metric, so the "best" list runs upward from the lowest. Top 50 shown, plus the top 5 inside each asset band.
- Source. FFIEC Central Data Repository, joined to bank identity - name, city, state, RSSD id and FDIC certificate - from the same filing. Figures are as reported by each institution and are not adjusted or restated.
- Reproducibility. This page is generated by
_tools/seo/build_ranking_pages.mjsfrom the published dataset. It is not hand-maintained, and it carries no figure that was typed in.
Related reading
- What is a good efficiency ratio for a bank? - quartiles by asset band, and what actually moves it.
- What is a good return on assets? - whether the leanness is reaching the bottom line.
- How to build a bank peer group - why a branch bank and a wholesale lender do not belong in the same comparison.