(MONEY Magazine) – Despite the record number of 714 bank failures in the past five years, there are still many safe havens for your savings, often near you. An exclusive MONEY survey identified these 175 safest banks in 41 states from Alaska to Wyoming: -- The superstars tend to be much smaller than multibillion-dollar money center banks; the average asset size of a superstar bank is less than $350 million. -- They are conservatively run institutions located outside major urban areas. Many can boast of long years of devoted service to their community. For example, the Kentucky state government's bank, Farmers Bank of Frankfort, has been operating there since 1850. -- They are all highly profitable, consistent performers. There was no decline in their equity quarter to quarter and no drastic change in their liquidity. -- They don't compete for deposits with especially high interest rates. The reason: their regular customers bring them all the business they want. Therefore, for example, the average six-month CD from a superstar bank yields 7%, compared with the national average of 7.4%. Veribanc, a Woburn, Mass. research firm, measured 14,000 banks against extremely stringent financial criteria. Then MONEY, with the help of Bank Rate Monitor, surveyed the six largest superstars, where available, in each state. The list was pared to 175, based on the banks' asset size and the number of services they offered, while ensuring that all states with superstars were represented. Eight states had no superstars: Arizona, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Delaware had three, but none provided the usual retail services. As the last column shows, a number of banks accept savings and issue credit cards nationwide, but none offer mortgages widely.

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