At the end of 2012, there were 3 banks operating in Blythe, California. Doing an internet search can confuse someone because Bank of America appears in the search even though they are no longer operating in the city, a Chase ATM appears, and even some banks like Wells Fargo from as far away as Parker, AZ , Thousand Palms, CA or Indio, CA appear in the search. In reality, the only 3 FDIC-insured institutions operating in Blythe at the end of the year were Provident Savings Bank, Rabobank, and Union Bank. For those who prefer a credit union, the closest are in Parker. For the purpose of this analysis, the 3 banks are being classified in terms of the amount of local deposits.

Rabobank has been around since 1962 and has many offices in inland and agricultural counties such as Butte, Imperial, Sonoma County, etc. They also have a strong coastal presence in wine-producing counties such as San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County. They have been doing business in Blythe since 1997. Their location is at 149 East Hobson Way. Its total deposits were over $ 58 million at the end of 2012. That amount was enough to make it the number one deposit bank for Blythe.

Provident Savings Bank is located at 350 East Hobson Way and has been operating in Blythe since 1982. The bank was established in 1965 and has 14 offices in Riverside County and 1 in San Bernardino County. Its deposits were around $ 46 million at the end of last year, good enough to rank second in deposits.

Third, but not far behind the leaders, Union Bank (also known as Union Bank of California) has been operating since 1935 and has offices throughout California. They began doing business locally in Blythe in 1996. Their office is at 100 West Hobson Way. Its total deposits exceeded $ 41 million at the end of 2012.

Many of the larger “too big to fail” banks are targeting $ 100 million deposits for new branches. Obviously, Blythe is not at that level yet for any bank branch. However, for many people not having megabanks is not a great loss. There are adequate options in the city for people to receive all types of loans, and since home loans are more widely made nationally, there are also ample financing options for someone who is qualified to purchase a home in the city.