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e frequently hear the phrase community banks or community banking in the media, in Congress, from regulators or from a number of other sources. Usually when we hear the phrase it is used to compare "community banks" to something or someone else.
Fortunately, when the phrase is used as a comparison, community banks are normally cited as the "good" example. Despite the constant use of the phrase, many people have different definitions of what makes a community bank. Some focus on size - large versus small. Others focus on location - urban versus rural. Still others focus on services or other factors to define community banks.
I would like to offer another thought on what defines a community bank. I believe it is attitude. Community banks and bankers believe their institution and their community have a common destiny, and what is good for one is generally good for both. A community bank is a true citizen of its community.
Based on this definition, we have a lot of community banks in Texas. The following information is based on 2013 numbers:
* There were approximately 623...