by: Kevin Kim, a Ph.D. student, and Ani Katchova, Professor and Farm Income Enhancement Chair, Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, The Ohio State University
The US banking sector and local community banks faced great uncertainty in 2020 due to the pandemic. The consolidation intensity within the US banking sector continued in 2020. Ohio experienced a similar trend, with a continued decrease in the number of community banks. However, Ohio banks remained highly profitable relative to the national average, and the credit availability increased significantly as the increase in the amount of bank deposits outpaced the increase in the amount of loans. Overall Ohio banks slightly increased bankruptcy risks in 2020 but are still more resilient than the national average.
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