Sterling State Bank: how it compares with its peers
Against 84 MN banks with half to twice its assets, Sterling State Bank's strongest measure in Q2 2026 is assets per employee ($7.8M vs. a $7.5M peer median). Its weakest relative measure is efficiency ratio (74.23% vs. 61.03%).
| Measure | Sterling State Bank | Peer median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on assets Annualized net income over average assets. | 0.98% | 1.36% | Bottom third Ahead of 23% of peers |
| Net interest margin Annualized net interest income over earning assets. | 3.54% | 3.99% | Bottom third Ahead of 24% of peers |
| Efficiency ratio Noninterest expense per dollar of revenue. Lower is better. | 74.23% | 61.03% | Bottom third Ahead of 12% of peers |
| Assets per employee Total assets over full-time-equivalent staff. | $7.8M | $7.5M | Middle third Ahead of 55% of peers |
| Loans to deposits Net loans and leases over total deposits. | 84.81% | 83.96% | Context |
What it means for lending operations
Its efficiency ratio of 74.23% is above the 61.03% 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
- Northview Bank Sandstone, MN · $470M
- American National Bank of Minnesota Baxter, MN · $473M
- Kensington Bank Kensington, MN · $447M
- Star Bank Maple Lake, MN · $446M
- First National Bank Minnesota Saint Peter, MN · $438M
- First Farmers & Merchants Bank Cannon Falls, MN · $486M
Questions about Sterling State Bank
How big is Sterling State Bank?
Sterling State Bank, established in 1958, is headquartered in Austin, MN. It reported $462M in total assets in its Q2 2026 FDIC call report and operates 6 offices.
What is Sterling State Bank's return on assets?
0.98% annualized in Q2 2026, against a 1.36% median for 84 MN banks with half to twice its assets, ahead of 23% of them.
What is Sterling State Bank's efficiency ratio?
74.23% in Q2 2026: it spent about 74 cents in noninterest expense for each dollar of revenue. The peer median is 61.03%, and lower is better.
Is Sterling State Bank growing its loans?
Net loans grew 3.3% over the year to Q2 2026, while deposits grew 5.4%.
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 MN 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 Minnesota bank ranked.