Credit union
Essential Credit Union
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, East Baton Rouge Parish, LA
$434M in total assets and 31,430 members, the 826th largest of 4,298 US credit unions and 13th of 136 headquartered in Louisiana.
- NCUA charter
- 68736
- Charter
- State chartered (LA)
- Chartered
- 1972
- NCUA insured since
- 1972
- Low-income designation
- Yes
- Website
- http://www.essentialcu.org
Earlier filings under Essential Federal Credit Union (charter 20972), before a charter conversion, are included in the history below.
At a glance
Compared with 24 federally insured credit unions in Louisiana with $100 million to $1 billion in assets, as of June 30, 2026.
| Measure | This credit union | Percentile | Peer range, middle 90% | Peer median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total assets | $434M | 67% | $246M | |
| Loans | $349M | 75% | $158M | |
| Deposits (shares) | $362M | 67% | $200M | |
| Members | 31,430 | 71% | 17,968 | |
| Return on assets | 0.47% | 29% | 0.61% | |
| Net interest income to assets | 3.88% | 54% | 3.81% | |
| Efficiency ratio | 81.1% | 58% | 79.9% | |
| Net worth ratio | 9.06% | 8% | 12.78% | |
| Loans to shares | 96% | 79% | 86% | |
| Cost of deposits | 2.11% | 71% | 1.45% |
Ratios are annualized from year-to-date figures. Return on assets uses average assets, as NCUA does. Cost of deposits includes dividends on shares.
Growth
Total assets grew 3.1% a year over 10 years and 3.8% a year over the last 5, including 2 mergers in the last 10 years. Membership fell 5.6% a year over 5 years, to 31,430.
Mergers and acquisitions
| Closed | Absorbed | Assets at last filing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2024 | Priority Postal Credit Union Credit union, Pasadena, TX | $2M |
| Dec 2016 | Pointe Coupee Education Assoc Federal Credit Union Credit union, New Roads, LA | $879K |
Where they operate
6 branches in 5 counties.
Largest counties by branches
| County | Branches | Share of all branches | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Baton Rouge Parish, LA | 2 | 1.1% | 21 of 58 |
| Ascension Parish, LA | 1 | 3.2% | 7 of 20 |
| Iberville Parish, LA | 1 | 5.9% | 5 of 11 |
| Livingston Parish, LA | 1 | 3.3% | 7 of 19 |
| Harris County, TX | 1 | 0.1% | 88 of 179 |
Credit unions do not report deposits by branch, so these are branch counts: this credit union's branches against every bank and credit union branch in the county. Rank is among all banks and credit unions with a branch there.
Branches by year
| Year end | Branches | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6 | |
| 2023 | 7 | +1 |
| 2024 | 7 | 0 |
| 2025 | 6 | −1 |
| Jun 2026 | 6 | 0 |
Member-serving offices as listed in NCUA call reports. Changes include branches gained in mergers.
Earnings and credit
Return on assets
Year to date, annualized, with the peer median.
Credit and capital
| This credit union | Peer median | |
|---|---|---|
| Delinquent loans, 60+ days | 1.45% | 0.88% |
| Net worth ratio | 9.06% | 12.78% |
| Loans to shares | 96% | 86% |
Delinquent loans are two or more months past due. Net worth is NCUA's capital measure for credit unions.
Related
Credit unions of similar size in Louisiana
Most branches in East Baton Rouge Parish, LA
Figures as of June 30, 2026 from the credit union's NCUA call report (Form 5300), NCUA's credit union locator and FFIEC merger records.