Credit Union Rankings

How PlainCU Rankings Are Compiled

Our rankings are computed directly from the upstream dataset, not editorially curated and not influenced by advertisers. Each ranking surfaces a clear, reproducible metric (for example, count of records per jurisdiction, share of records within a category, or rate per capita), and the underlying numbers are visible on the associated record pages so you can verify them. We recompute rankings whenever the upstream data refreshes, and we publish the refresh cadence on the methodology page.

What Rankings Mean (and What They Do Not)

A ranking is a useful lens, it tells you where to start looking, but it is not a judgment about quality, safety, or reputation. Being at the top of a count-based ranking typically reflects scale: more records in a jurisdiction, more entities in a category. It does not mean "better" or "worse." Whenever a ranking could be misread as a quality claim, we include an explanatory note on the page. When a ranking is rate-based (per capita, per thousand, share), we describe the denominator so you can sanity-check whether the normalization fits your question.

Why We Publish These Rankings

Rankings make large public datasets navigable. Most visitors arrive with a question ("Which jurisdiction has the most records?" or "Where is this category concentrated?") and benefit from seeing a ranked list with direct links to the full records. Publishing ranked views of public data is a long-established practice in civic journalism; we are careful to surface the raw numbers, link to the official source, and avoid editorial spin. If a ranking ever implies a value judgment not supported by the data, please email us at the address on the contact page and we will review the wording.

Methodology, Sources, and Corrections

Every ranking is derived from the source dataset linked on the methodology page. We do not blend proprietary signals; we do not substitute editor opinion for data. If you believe a ranking is miscomputed or that a record is misclassified, please contact us with the specific record ID and the expected correction, and we will investigate within the next refresh cycle. Corrections that affect the published ranking are rolled forward immediately; minor formatting fixes go out with the next scheduled refresh.

How Credit Union Health Scores Are Computed

The composite health score that drives the "Healthiest Credit Unions" ranking blends five well-established credit-union safety-and-soundness indicators from each institution's NCUA 5300 Call Report filings: net worth ratio (capital strength, 30%), delinquency ratio (asset quality, 25%), return on assets (earnings, 15%), member-growth rate (franchise health, 15%), and loan-to-share ratio (liquidity discipline, 15%). Each input is mapped to a 0–100 sub-score against published regulatory thresholds, for example, a net worth ratio at or above the NCUA's 10% "exceptionally capitalized" mark earns full capital points, then weighted to produce the final composite. We publish the formula on the methodology page so any analyst can reproduce a score from the raw NCUA data. We do not adjust scores for marketing relationships, advertising spend, or membership demographics, and credit unions cannot pay to alter their ranking.

What "Largest" Actually Measures

The "Largest Credit Unions" ranking uses total reported assets, the standard balance-sheet definition used by NCUA, banking regulators, and the financial press. We rank by quarter-end totals, not period averages, because regulators publish point-in-time snapshots. Asset size is highly correlated with member count and branch footprint, but it is not a quality signal: a small community-charter credit union with deep ties to a single sponsor employer is doing different work than a $100 billion national charter. We surface both rankings side by side so members can pick the lens that fits their question.

Growth, Rate Comparisons, and What Counts as a Membership Win

The "Fastest-Growing" view shows year-over-year change in member count, computed from quarter-over-quarter NCUA filings four quarters apart. Net of mergers, the top of this list tends to surface community charters in expanding metros, employer-tied charters whose sponsor is hiring, and digital-first credit unions that compete on rate. The CU-versus-bank rate comparison ranking pulls APYs and APRs from the most recent reporting quarter and lines them up against national bank averages for the same product window. We caution readers that posted rates are starting points; final rates depend on credit profile, term, and relationship pricing. We also note when a featured rate is promotional or member-tier-restricted so the comparison is fair.