Southern First Bank: how it compares with its peers
Against 364 U.S. banks with half to twice its assets, Southern First Bank's strongest measure in Q2 2026 is assets per employee ($14.5M vs. a $9.5M peer median). Its weakest relative measure is net interest margin (2.93% vs. 3.65%).
| Measure | Southern First Bank | Peer median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on assets Annualized net income over average assets. | 0.96% | 1.30% | Bottom third Ahead of 22% of peers |
| Net interest margin Annualized net interest income over earning assets. | 2.93% | 3.65% | Bottom third Ahead of 15% of peers |
| Efficiency ratio Noninterest expense per dollar of revenue. Lower is better. | 57.36% | 57.11% | Middle third Ahead of 49% of peers |
| Assets per employee Total assets over full-time-equivalent staff. | $14.5M | $9.5M | Top third Ahead of 84% of peers |
| Loans to deposits Net loans and leases over total deposits. | 99.81% | 88.57% | Context |
What it means for lending operations
Its efficiency ratio of 57.36% is above the 57.11% 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
- Town Bank, National Association Hartland, WI · $4.71B
- Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Bar Harbor, ME · $4.73B
- Erebor Bank, N.A. Columbus, OH · $4.66B
- The Fidelity Bank Fuquay Varina, NC · $4.66B
- First National Bank Texas Killeen, TX · $4.64B
Questions about Southern First Bank
How big is Southern First Bank?
Southern First Bank, established in 2000, is headquartered in Greenville, SC. It reported $4.70B in total assets in its Q2 2026 FDIC call report and operates 12 offices.
What is Southern First Bank's return on assets?
0.96% annualized in Q2 2026, against a 1.30% median for 364 U.S. banks with half to twice its assets, ahead of 22% of them.
What is Southern First Bank's efficiency ratio?
57.36% in Q2 2026: it spent about 57 cents in noninterest expense for each dollar of revenue. The peer median is 57.11%, and lower is better.
Is Southern First Bank growing its loans?
Net loans grew 7.5% over the year to Q2 2026, while deposits grew 9.5%.
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 U.S. 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 South Carolina bank ranked.