Best Banks and Credit Unions in the Mid-Atlantic for 2026

Despite their smaller size, most regional banks offer the same access to an array of banking products. Like their national counterparts, most offer competitive rates on savings accounts and loans. The Mid-Atlantic region — including Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. — is no different.

Many top financial institutions operate in this region. So in order to identify the best banks and credit unions of the Mid-Atlantic, we researched their accounts, fees, annual percentage yields (APYs) and customer satisfaction ratings.

Here are Money's picks for the best banks and credit unions in the Mid-Atlantic for 2026:

• Mid-Atlantic Federal Credit Union - Best Overall
• Bank of America - Best for CDs
• CFG Bank - Best for Interest-Bearing Checking
• M&T Bank - Best for Free Checking
• Atlantic Union Bank - Best for Customer Satisfaction

*Rates and fees were current as of Oct. 14, 2025.

Despite being a regional financial institution, Mid-Atlantic Federal Credit Union has an ATM network that boasts 30,000 locations. It offers checking, savings, money market and student accounts as well as share certificates (i.e., the credit union equivalent of CDs) with competitive rates. Its Rewards Checking currently offers 5.00% APY on up to $10,000 and the credit union refunds out-of-network ATM fees.

Mid-Atlantic also provides loan rate discounts for its members and offers individual retirement accounts (IRAs) as well as youth accounts, which receive dividends. The credit union only operates three branch locations, but it offers its Online Branch, which provides comprehensive services.

Bank of America is the second largest U.S. bank by assets and the third largest by branch locations with 3,857 supplemented with 15,000 ATM locations. The bank has a solid presence in the Northeast, and it offers checking accounts, savings accounts, student accounts and CDs.

Its CDs are where the bank stands out. With terms ranging from 28 days to 10 years and APYs as high as 3.51%, the Bank of America's CDs have high-yielding options for short- and long-term savers. They do, however, require a minimum deposit of $1,000. Bank of America receives a J.D. Power score of 8 out of 9, but it doesn't offer money market accounts.

CFG Bank receives high scores from customers, with a 3.4-star rating out of a possible 5 on Trustpilot. The bank offers checking, savings, money market accounts and CDs. But its interest-bearing checking stands out. CFG's Interest Checking account currently offers an APY up to 2.00% and provides access to more than 55,000 global ATMs as part of the Allpoint™ network.

CFG only operates three branches in Maryland; however, its allows online access for its customers, including mobile check deposits through its app. The bank's money market account provides a higher-than-average APY — currently 4.15% with a $1,000 minimum opening deposit.

M&T Bank operates over 960 branches and 1,600 ATMs in Washington, D.C., and 11 states, including numerous in the Mid-Atlantic. One of its key features is its financial management tools. Customers, including children who open a Starter Savings account, can create budgets and track their spending online or through the M&T Bank mobile app.

M&T Bank's free EZ Choice checking account stands out, with no monthly maintenance fees, no minimum balance requirements and no minimum transaction requirements. Its MyChoice Plus Checking account is interest-bearing, and customers can avoid the $14.95 per month maintenance fee by maintaining an average daily balance of $2,500 or with direct deposits totaling $1,500 per monthly cycle.

Atlantic Union Bank boasts more than 130 branch locations throughout Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. It has a network of 30,000 ATMs and offers checking, savings, money market accounts in addition to CDs. One of the bank's biggest appeals is that it has multiple interest-bearing checking options and a highly-rated mobile app.

So it's little surprise that the bank scores well for customer satisfaction, with high rankings from J.D. Power over the past several years, including the highest overall customer satisfaction score for 2021 in Mid-Atlantic. Atlantic Union is still dealing with some fallout from regulatory action over overdraft practices that resulted in a CFPB order in December 2023, but since the settlement, the bank has made improvements to its overdraft program, including reduced fees and, in some instances, eliminated fees.

How we chose the Best Banks of 2026

To determine our list of best banks for 2026, Money staff evaluated hundreds of the largest retail banks, credit unions, regional and state banks, ranked by assets, and 20 of the most popular online banks. We then compared opening balance requirements, interest paid, fees and features to determine our top picks.

To select the best banks and credit unions of the Mid-Atlantic, we researched the major financial institutions in the area and compared their deposit account minimums, APYs, fees and extra perks and benefits. We also looked at the number of branches and ATMs each bank has, as well as their customer satisfaction ratings.

You can read our full methodology here.

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