First Southern Bank: how it compares with its peers
Against 71 GA banks with half to twice its assets, First Southern Bank's strongest measure in Q2 2026 is net interest margin (4.50% vs. a 4.66% peer median). Its weakest relative measure is efficiency ratio (72.90% vs. 57.33%).
| Measure | First Southern Bank | Peer median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on assets Annualized net income over average assets. | 0.94% | 1.58% | Bottom third Ahead of 15% of peers |
| Net interest margin Annualized net interest income over earning assets. | 4.50% | 4.66% | Middle third Ahead of 44% of peers |
| Efficiency ratio Noninterest expense per dollar of revenue. Lower is better. | 72.90% | 57.33% | Bottom third Ahead of 11% of peers |
| Assets per employee Total assets over full-time-equivalent staff. | $5.8M | $6.8M | Bottom third Ahead of 24% of peers |
| Loans to deposits Net loans and leases over total deposits. | 71.74% | 80.23% | Context |
What it means for lending operations
Its efficiency ratio of 72.90% is above the 57.33% peer median: it spends more to earn each dollar of revenue than most banks its size. Staff time on manual borrower verification (collecting pay stubs, bank statements, and employment letters, then re-keying them) is one of the larger controllable costs behind that number.
Banks closest in size
- Flint Community Bank Albany, GA · $357M
- First National Bank of Decatur County Bainbridge, GA · $360M
- Altamaha Bank & Trust Company Vidalia, GA · $334M
- Bank of Newington Newington, GA · $334M
- Rabun County Bank Clayton, GA · $362M
- Douglas National Bank Douglas, GA · $327M
Questions about First Southern Bank
How big is First Southern Bank?
First Southern Bank, established in 1907, is headquartered in Waycross, GA. It reported $347M in total assets in its Q2 2026 FDIC call report and operates 1 office.
What is First Southern Bank's return on assets?
0.94% annualized in Q2 2026, against a 1.58% median for 71 GA banks with half to twice its assets, ahead of 15% of them.
What is First Southern Bank's efficiency ratio?
72.90% in Q2 2026: it spent about 73 cents in noninterest expense for each dollar of revenue. The peer median is 57.33%, and lower is better.
Is First Southern Bank growing its loans?
Net loans grew 4.5% over the year to Q2 2026, while deposits grew 4.2%.
Sources and method
Figures are from the FDIC’s public call report data for the quarter ending 06/30/2026, via FDIC BankFind. Return on assets and net interest margin are annualized year to date. Peers are GA banks with half to twice its assets in the same quarter, excluding this bank. The page refreshes daily, so new quarters appear as banks file. Compare another bank or see every Georgia bank ranked.