Data / Bank failures / 1981
US bank failures in 1981: 9 banks closed
9 banks failed in 1981, holding $1.38 billion in assets and $1.15 billion in deposits. The FDIC estimates the cost to its insurance fund at $31 million. The FDIC also assisted 31 open banks without closing them. The largest: First FS&LA of Rochester ($1.20 billion), Economy S&LA ($73.9 million), The Des Plaines Bank ($46.5 million). Most by state: NY 9, IL 7, FL 4, MO 3, PR 2.
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Every failure, newest first
| Bank | City | State | Closed | Assets | Deposits | Estimated cost | Acquirer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Dime Savings Bank (assistance) | New York | NY | December 18, 1981 | $1.45 billion | $1.26 billion | $61.5 million | The Buffalo Savings Bank |
| Southern FS&LA of Broward County (assistance) | Pompano Beach | FL | December 17, 1981 | $615.4 million | $495.7 million | $5.2 million | Home Sa of America |
| Security FS&LA of Sikeston (assistance) | Sikeston | MO | December 17, 1981 | $84.5 million | $67.1 million | $795,145 | Home Sa of America |
| Hamiltonian FS&LA (assistance) | Ladue | MO | December 17, 1981 | $239.5 million | $198.9 million | $1.8 million | Home Sa of America |
| Boca Raton FS&LA (assistance) | Boca Raton | FL | December 9, 1981 | $275.8 million | $236.2 million | $8.8 million | City FS&LA |
| Mohawk S&LA (assistance) | Newark | NJ | December 9, 1981 | $91.1 million | $76.3 million | $4.7 million | City FS&LA |
| Palos S&LA (assistance) | Palos Heights | IL | December 5, 1981 | $98 million | $81 million | Hyde Park FS&LA | |
| Central Savings Bank (assistance) | New York | NY | December 4, 1981 | $910.2 million | $698.9 million | $32.9 million | Harlem Savings Bank |
| Guaranty FS&LA (assistance) | Baton Rouge | LA | November 30, 1981 | $33.5 million | $29 million | $48,906 | Pelican FS&LA |
| Empire State FS&LA (assistance) | White Plains | NY | November 30, 1981 | $291.3 million | $217.2 million | $10 million | Empire Savings FA |
| Pan American, FS&LA (assistance) | Rio Piedras | PR | November 20, 1981 | $43.9 million | $31.6 million | First FSB | |
| First FS&LA of Puerto Rico (assistance) | Santurce | PR | November 20, 1981 | First FSB | |||
| First FS&LA of Broward County (assistance) | FT. Lauderdale | FL | November 19, 1981 | $2.55 billion | $1.93 billion | $-253,000 | Glendale FS&LA |
| Greenwich Savings Bank (assistance) | New York | NY | November 4, 1981 | $2.48 billion | $1.95 billion | $678.4 million | Metropolitan Savings Bank |
| Midtown National Bank | Pueblo | CO | October 30, 1981 | $10.6 million | $9.9 million | $1.7 million | First Co Bank of Pueblo |
| High Lakes Community Bank | La Pine | OR | October 23, 1981 | $3.7 million | $3 million | $1.2 million | Prineville Bank |
| Reserve S&LA (assistance) | Elmhurst | IL | October 7, 1981 | $129.8 million | $100 million | Hyde Park FS&LA | |
| Lafayette FS&LA (assistance) | Warson Woods | MO | October 2, 1981 | $416.5 million | $253.7 million | $799.3 million | United Postal |
| Southwestern Bank | Tucson | AZ | September 25, 1981 | $5.3 million | $5 million | ||
| Perpetual S&LA (assistance) | Rapid City | SD | September 15, 1981 | $49.7 million | $39.2 million | $9.4 million | First FS&LA of Rapid City |
| Washington FS&LA (assistance) | Miami Beach | FL | September 8, 1981 | $1.20 billion | $913.5 million | $147.2 million | Citizens Savings |
| Franklin Society FS&LA (assistance) | New York | NY | September 8, 1981 | $947.4 million | $703.9 million | $200 million | First FS&LA of Rochester |
| First FS&LA of Rochester | Rochester | NY | September 8, 1981 | $1.20 billion | $989.2 million | First FS&LA of Rochester | |
| West Side FS&LA (assistance) | New York | NY | September 8, 1981 | $2.50 billion | $1.96 billion | $315.5 million | Citizens Savings |
| County FS&LA (assistance) | Rockville | MD | August 9, 1981 | $144.1 million | $95.1 million | $25.8 million | Metropolitan FS&LA |
| First Financial FS&LA (assistance) | Bellaire | TX | July 10, 1981 | $5.9 million | $4.8 million | $1.8 million | South Texas Savings Assn |
| First FS&LA of New Bern (assistance) | New Bern | NC | July 1, 1981 | $57.4 million | $46.8 million | $3.6 million | Raleigh FS&LA |
| Community FS&LA (assistance) | Washington | DC | June 21, 1981 | $22.9 million | $21.1 million | $2.5 million | Independence FS&LA |
| Northwest Commerce Bank | North Bend | OR | June 19, 1981 | $6.7 million | $5.2 million | $1 million | Citizens Bank of North B |
| Financial Security S&LA (assistance) | Elk Grove Village | IL | June 1, 1981 | $63.8 million | $50.1 million | $15.7 million | Land of Lincoln S&LA |
| Ny & Suburban FS&LA (assistance) | New York | NY | May 31, 1981 | $547.6 million | $355.6 million | $145.8 million | Anchor Savings Bank FSB |
| Economy S&LA | Chicago | IL | May 18, 1981 | $73.9 million | $58.4 million | $22 million | |
| Arctic FS&LA (assistance) | Fairbanks | AK | May 9, 1981 | $40.5 million | $34.8 million | $3.8 million | First FS&LA |
| Guardian FSB (assistance) | Northport | NY | April 30, 1981 | $125.9 million | $89.1 million | $31.4 million | Anchor Savings Bank FSB |
| Peoples Banking Company | Boston | GA | March 17, 1981 | $8.4 million | $8.1 million | $435,019 | Commercial Bank |
| South Side Bank | Chicago | IL | March 14, 1981 | $27.5 million | $26 million | $3.5 million | Drexel National Bank |
| The Des Plaines Bank | Des Plaines | IL | March 14, 1981 | $46.5 million | $42.9 million | $1.1 million | |
| Security of Statesville (assistance) | Statesville | NC | February 9, 1981 | $15.7 million | $13 million | Asheville FS&LA | |
| Franklin Sa (assistance) | Chicago | IL | February 9, 1981 | $97.6 million | $71.9 million | $1.6 million | Avondale FSB |
| Home Sa (assistance) | Minneapolis | MN | January 18, 1981 | $686.4 million | $492.6 million | $73.6 million | First FS&LA of Minneapolis |
Other years
- 2026 4
- 2025 2
- 2024 2
- 2023 5
- 2020 4
- 2019 4
- 2017 8
- 2016 5
- 2015 8
- 2014 18
- 2013 24
- 2012 51
- 2011 92
- 2010 157
- 2009 148
- 2008 30
- 2007 3
- 2004 4
- 2003 3
- 2002 11
- 2001 4
- 2000 7
- 1999 8
- 1998 3
- 1997 1
- 1996 6
- 1995 8
- 1994 15
- 1993 50
- 1992 181
- 1991 271
- 1990 382
- 1989 534
- 1988 470
- 1987 262
- 1986 204
- 1985 180
- 1984 106
- 1983 99
- 1982 119
- 1980 22
- 1979 10
- 1978 7
- 1977 6
- 1976 17
- 1975 13
- 1974 4
- 1973 6
- 1972 2
- 1971 7
- 1970 7
- 1969 9
- 1968 3
- 1967 4
- 1966 7
- 1965 5
- 1964 7
- 1963 2
- 1962 1
- 1961 5
- 1960 1
- 1959 3
- 1958 4
- 1957 1
- 1956 2
- 1955 5
- 1954 2
- 1953 2
- 1952 3
- 1951 2
- 1950 4
- 1949 4
- 1948 3
- 1947 5
- 1946 1
- 1945 1
- 1944 2
- 1943 5
- 1942 20
- 1941 15
- 1940 43
- 1939 60
- 1938 74
- 1937 75
- 1936 69
- 1935 25
- 1934 9
Read from the FDIC's failures data (BankFind), last updated 2026-10-23. Assets and deposits are as of the last report before failure; the estimated cost is the FDIC's latest estimate of the loss to its insurance fund and changes as the receivership winds down. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.