Northwest Bank: how it compares with its peers
Against 16 IA banks with half to twice its assets, Northwest Bank's strongest measure in Q2 2026 is net interest margin (3.66% vs. a 3.46% peer median). Its weakest relative measure is assets per employee ($7.4M vs. $9.3M).
| Measure | Northwest Bank | Peer median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on assets Annualized net income over average assets. | 1.35% | 1.30% | Middle third Ahead of 63% of peers |
| Net interest margin Annualized net interest income over earning assets. | 3.66% | 3.46% | Top third Ahead of 81% of peers |
| Efficiency ratio Noninterest expense per dollar of revenue. Lower is better. | 57.55% | 52.57% | Middle third Ahead of 38% of peers |
| Assets per employee Total assets over full-time-equivalent staff. | $7.4M | $9.3M | Bottom third Ahead of 19% of peers |
| Loans to deposits Net loans and leases over total deposits. | 93.89% | 89.24% | Context |
What it means for lending operations
Its efficiency ratio of 57.55% is above the 52.57% 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
- Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust Company Cedar Rapids, IA · $2.90B
- Quad City Bank and Trust Company Bettendorf, IA · $2.77B
- Fidelity Bank & Trust Dubuque, IA · $2.60B
- United Bank of Iowa Ida Grove, IA · $2.50B
- Bank Iowa West Des Moines, IA · $2.35B
- Luana Savings Bank Luana, IA · $2.34B
Questions about Northwest Bank
How big is Northwest Bank?
Northwest Bank, established in 1988, is headquartered in Spencer, IA. It reported $3.00B in total assets in its Q2 2026 FDIC call report and operates 22 offices.
What is Northwest Bank's return on assets?
1.35% annualized in Q2 2026, against a 1.30% median for 16 IA banks with half to twice its assets, ahead of 63% of them.
What is Northwest Bank's efficiency ratio?
57.55% in Q2 2026: it spent about 58 cents in noninterest expense for each dollar of revenue. The peer median is 52.57%, and lower is better.
Is Northwest Bank growing its loans?
Net loans grew 5.0% over the year to Q2 2026, while deposits grew 5.5%.
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 IA 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 Iowa bank ranked.