ALEXANDRIA, Va.— Credit union assets continued to climb in 2025, while loan growth remained sluggish and membership declines were concentrated among the smallest institutions, according to new third-quarter state-level data released Wednesday by the National Credit Union Administration.
Over the year ending in the third quarter of 2025, median asset growth was fastest in Nevada (6.5%), followed by Hawaii and Maine (both 5.8%). At the median, assets declined in Washington, D.C. (-0.6%) and New Jersey (-0.1%) over the year.
The NCUA report shows that federally insured credit unions posted a median 2.6% increase in assets over the year ending in the third quarter of 2025. Loans outstanding grew just 0.3% at the median, underscoring continued caution in lending amid tighter economic conditions.
Nationally, the median loan-to-share ratio stood at 70% at the end of the third quarter, reflecting ample liquidity across the system.
While overall credit union membership increased nationwide, median membership declined 0.5%, with losses concentrated among smaller institutions. More than half of credit unions experiencing membership declines had less than $50 million in assets, highlighting ongoing scale challenges at the smallest end of the industry.
Financial performance continued to improve, with 88% of federally insured credit unions reporting positive year-to-date net income through the third quarter of 2025, up from 85% a year earlier, according to the NCUA’s Quarterly U.S. Map Review.
A Closer Look At The Data
Median Annual Asset Growth
- Nationally, assets in federally insured credit unions increased by 2.6% at the median over the year ending in the third quarter of 2025. In other words, half of all federally insured credit unions had asset growth at or above 2.6% and half had asset growth of 2.6% or less. During the year ending in the third quarter of 2024, the median growth rate in assets was 0.3%.
- Over the year ending in the third quarter of 2025, median asset growth was fastest in Nevada (6.5%), followed by Hawaii and Maine (both 5.8%).
- At the median, assets declined in Washington, D.C. (-0.6%) and New Jersey (-0.1%) over the year.
Median Annual Share And Deposit Growth
- Nationally, shares and deposits increased by 2.4% at the median over the year ending in the third quarter of 2025. During the year ending in the third quarter of 2024, the median growth rate in shares and deposits was negative 0.4%.
- Over the year ending in the third quarter of 2025, median growth in shares and deposits was fastest in Alaska (7.1%) and Vermont (6.5%).
- At the median, shares and deposits declined in New Jersey and Washington, D.C. over the year (both -0.3%), and remained roughly unchanged in Nebraska.
Median Annual Membership Growth
- While membership continued to grow in the aggregate over the year ending in the third quarter of 2025, at the median, membership declined by 0.5%. Membership declined by 0.4% at the median over the year ending in the third quarter of 2024. Overall, 55% of federally insured credit unions had fewer members at the end of the third quarter of 2025 than a year earlier. Credit unions with falling membership tend to be small; over half had less than $50 million in assets in the third quarter of 2025.
- Over the year ending in the third quarter of 2025, credit unions headquartered in Alaska (2.8%) and Wyoming (1.4%) experienced the strongest median membership growth.
- At the median, membership declined in twenty-nine states and Washington, D.C. over the year. Washington, D.C. (-2.0%) and North Dakota (-1.6%) saw the largest median decline in membership.
Median Annual Loan Growth
- Nationally, loans outstanding grew by 0.3% at the median over the year ending in the third quarter of 2025. Over the previous year, loans increased by 0.9% at the median.
- Over the year ending in the third quarter of 2025, median loan growth was strongest in Alaska (7.1%) and New Hampshire (4.7%).
- At the median, loans outstanding declined in Washington, D.C. and nineteen states over the year, led by Washington, D.C. (-4.5%) and West Virginia (-4.3%).
Median Total Delinquency Rate
- At the end of the third quarter of 2025, the median total delinquency rate among federally insured credit unions was 67 basis points, compared with 65 basis points at the end of the third quarter of 2024.
- At the end of the third quarter of 2025, the median delinquency rate was highest in Delaware (134 basis points) and New Jersey (107 basis points).
- The median delinquency rate was lowest in New Hampshire and Rhode Island (both 37 basis points) at that time, followed by California (42 basis points).
Median Loan-To-Share Ratio
- Nationally, the median ratio of total loans outstanding to total shares and deposits - the loan-to-share ratio - was 70% at the end of the third quarter of 2025. At the end of the third quarter of 2024, the median loan-to-share ratio was 72%.
- The median loan-to-share ratio was highest in Idaho and Vermont (both 88%) at the end of the third quarter of 2025, followed by Wyoming (85%).
- The median loan-to-share ratio was lowest in Delaware (46%) and New Jersey (52%) at that time.
Median Return On Average Assets
- Nationally, the median annualized return on average assets at federally insured credit unions was 76 basis points in the first three quarters of 2025, compared with 64 basis points in the first three quarters of 2024.
- Wyoming (133 basis points) and South Dakota (106 basis points) had the highest median annualized return on average assets in the first three quarters of 2025.
- Delaware (41 basis points) and New Jersey (45 basis points) had the lowest median annualized return on average assets at that time.
Share Of Credit Unions With Positive Net Income
- Nationally, 88% of federally insured credit unions had positive year-to-date net income in the third quarter of 2025, compared with 85% in the third quarter of 2024.
- In the third quarter of 2025, the share of federally insured credit unions with positive year-to-date net income was highest in Nevada and Wyoming (both 100%), followed by Hawaii and Maine (both 98%).
- The share was lowest in Washington, D.C. (70%) and Colorado (76%) at that time.