Bell Bank
Fargo, North Dakota, Cass County
$15.2B in total assets, the 131st largest of 4,309 US banks and 1st of 60 headquartered in North Dakota.
- FDIC certificate
- 19581
- Established
- 1966
- Owned by
- State Bankshares Inc
- Primary regulator
- FDIC
- Website
- www.bell.bank
At a glance
Compared with 132 US banks with $10 billion to $100 billion in assets, as of June 30, 2026.
| Measure | This bank | Percentile | Peer range, middle 90% | Peer median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total assets | $15.2B | 26% | $22.5B | |
| Loans | $13.2B | 42% | $14.5B | |
| Deposits | $12.4B | 26% | $18.4B | |
| Return on assets | 0.76% | 12% | 1.30% | |
| Net interest margin | 2.88% | 17% | 3.62% | |
| Efficiency ratio | 70.7% | 90% | 55.1% | |
| Equity to assets | 9.70% | 22% | 11.60% | |
| Loans to deposits | 107% | 93% | 87% |
Growth
Total assets grew 8.3% a year over the last 5 years and 14.6% a year over 10 years, without acquisitions.
Acquisitions
| Closed | Acquired bank | Assets at acquisition |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2013 | The Business Bank Minnetonka, MN, an affiliate under the same holding company | $192M |
| Sep 2012 | First National Bank Hawley, MN, an affiliate under the same holding company | $91M |
| May 2005 | First State Bank of Audubon Detroit Lakes, MN, an affiliate under the same holding company | $12M |
| Sep 2003 | State Bank of West Fargo West Fargo, ND, an affiliate under the same holding company | $106M |
| Sep 2003 | State Bank of Moorhead Moorhead, MN, an affiliate under the same holding company | $130M |
Where they operate
33 branches in 13 counties.
Largest markets by deposits
| County | Deposits | Market share | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hennepin County, MN | $4.7B | 3.3% | 4 of 68 |
| Cass County, ND | $3.1B | 27.5% | 1 of 28 |
| Maricopa County, AZ | $2.2B | 1.1% | 11 of 55 |
| Clay County, MN | $665M | 39.9% | 1 of 11 |
| Otter Tail County, MN | $392M | 19.3% | 1 of 18 |
| Richland County, ND | $298M | 41.4% | 1 of 8 |
Deposits by branch from the FDIC Summary of Deposits, June 2026. Rank among all banks with branches in that county.
Branch history since 2016
Net gain of 12 branches since 2016 (21 to 33, +57.1%). 17 opened, 0 acquired, 5 closed or sold.
| Period | What happened | Opened or acquired | Closed or sold | Net change | Branches at end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start of 2016 | Starting point | 21 | |||
| 2016 | Closed Audubon | 0 | 1 | −1 | 20 |
| 2018 | Opened Stillwater | 1 | 0 | +1 | 21 |
| 2019 | Opened Chandler and Maple Grove | 2 | 0 | +2 | 23 |
| 2020 | Opened 4 in 3 statesClosed West Fargo | 4 | 1 | +3 | 26 |
| 2021 | Opened 3 in 2 statesClosed Boise | 3 | 1 | +2 | 28 |
| 2023 | Closed Breckenridge | 0 | 1 | −1 | 27 |
| 2024 | Opened 4 in 3 statesClosed Chandler | 4 | 1 | +3 | 30 |
| 2025 | Opened Eagle and Grand Forks | 2 | 0 | +2 | 32 |
| 2026 through Q2 | Opened Baxter | 1 | 0 | +1 | 33 |
Balance sheet and earnings
Loans by type
| Type | Share | This bank | Peers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 family residential | 35% | 21% | |
| Commercial real estate | 28% | 25% | |
| Business (C&I) | 16% | 17% | |
| Multifamily | 10% | 8% | |
| Construction and land | 3% | 6% | |
| Farmland | 2% | 1% | |
| Consumer | 2% | 10% | |
| Agricultural | 1% | 1% | |
| Other | 5% | 13% |
Deposits by type
| Type | Share | This bank | Peers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other interest-bearing | 63% | 62% | |
| Time deposits | 19% | 18% | |
| Noninterest-bearing | 19% | 20% |
Brokered deposits are 8.1% of deposits (peers 7.2%).
Return on assets
Trailing four quarters, with the peer median.
Credit and capital
| This bank | Peer median | |
|---|---|---|
| Noncurrent loans | 0.84% | 0.63% |
| Net charge-offs, annualized | 0.02% | 0.14% |
| Reserves to loans | 1.02% | 1.15% |
| Leverage ratio | 9.98% | 10.26% |
Noncurrent loans exclude government-guaranteed portions.
Related banks
Similar size in North Dakota
Largest competitors in Hennepin County, MN
Figures as of June 30, 2026 from the bank's Call Report, FDIC structure and branch data, and the Federal Reserve. Short link: bankingstats.com/bell