The 2011 household survey results show that more than one in four households (28.3 percent) are either unbanked or underbanked, conducting some or all of their financial transactions outside of the mainstream banking system. Many of these households rely on alternative financial services (AFS) providers, while others use cash or other financial arrangements.
Click for an interactive map of unbanked rates by geography
2011 Survey Results
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- 2011 Executive Summary
- 2011 Report
- 2011 Appendices A - G
- 2011 Detailed State and MSA Tables (Appendices H - I)
- 2011 Instrument
About the 2011 FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households
To assess the inclusiveness of the banking system, and in partial fulfilment of a statutory responsibility, the FDIC conducts biennial surveys of households to estimate the proportion of households that do not fully participate in the banking system. The second FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households presents new data and insights on the size of unbanked and underbanked markets at the national, regional, state, and large metropolitan statistical area (MSA) levels.
- 2011 Alternative Financial Services Report
- 2011 Banking Status by State Summary Table
- 2011 Banking Status by State Summary Table
- 2011 Account Ownership by State Summary Table
- 2011 Account Ownership by State Summary Table
- 2011 Banking Status by MSA Summary Table
- 2011 Banking Status by MSA Summary Table
- 2011 Account Ownership by MSA Summary Table
- 2011 Account Ownership by MSA Summary Table
Methodology
Sponsored by the FDIC, the survey was conducted in June 2011 by the U.S. Census Bureau as a supplement to its Current Population Survey (CPS). Similar to the methodology in the inaugural report, the FDIC uses survey responses to categorize household banking status into three categories: unbanked, underbanked, and fully-banked. The Census Bureau surveyed approximately 54,000 households, and about 44,900 (84 percent) participated in the FDIC-sponsored supplement survey.
- Technical Paper on the Design and Methodology of the Current Population Survey (Source: U.S. Census Bureau)
- 2011 Appendix E (Technical Notes)
- 2011 Appendix G (Survey Instrument)
- Access the 2011 Basic Current Population Survey data and the 2011 Unbanked/Underbanked Supplement from the Census Bureau.