Orange County Bancorp lands spot on KBW Bank Honor Roll

Orange County Bancorp’s first appearance on Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ Bank Honor Roll puts a Middletown institution in a very small group of high-performing banks, and it comes as the company is posting some of its strongest numbers in years.

KBW’s 2026 list included 17 banking institutions, which it said represented about 6% of eligible banks. To qualify, banks had to have more than $500 million in assets and show either consistent earnings growth over the past 10 years or rank in the top 5% of eligible banks by 10-year earnings-per-share growth. Orange County Bancorp was one of seven new members on the list.

For Orange County readers, the recognition is more than a Wall Street-style award. Orange County Bancorp is the parent of Orange Bank & Trust and Orange Investment Advisors, and its core business remains tied to Middletown and the broader Hudson Valley business market. Orange Bank & Trust says it began in Middletown in 1892 and now has more than $2.5 billion in assets. Its footprint grew from a second location in Wallkill in 1955 and a Dolson Avenue branch in Middletown in 1969 to later expansions in Montgomery, Vails Gate, Goshen, Chester, Newburgh, Rockland County and Westchester County.

The honor roll placement is backed by a sharp run in operating results. Orange County Bancorp reported 2025 net income of $41.6 million, up 49.3% from $27.9 million in 2024. Net interest margin widened to 4.18% from 3.83%, a sign the bank earned more from its lending and funding mix. Loans rose 7.4% to $2.0 billion at Dec. 31, 2025, while deposits climbed 7.3% to $2.3 billion. Book value per share increased 30.1% to $21.27, and trust and investment advisory income advanced 15.2% to $14.1 million.

Those numbers matter in a region where community banks face intense competition for deposits, pressure on funding costs and the challenge of keeping credit growth disciplined. Orange County Bancorp’s results suggest it has managed to grow both sides of the balance sheet while protecting profitability, a combination that many smaller banks have struggled to deliver.

The company has also been leaning into lending as a strategic priority. On Jan. 26, 2026, Orange Bank & Trust said it was making a strategic investment in lending operations across the Mid-Hudson Valley. The bank said Michael Coulter rejoined the lending team and Travis Podolec was named Specialized Trades Lending Manager for the Mid-Hudson Market, with a focus on construction, manufacturing and skilled trades. That push points to a bank trying to deepen relationships with local employers, contractors and business owners rather than simply chase growth from afar.

With its 2026 annual meeting set for May 26 at 212 Dolson Avenue in Middletown, Orange County Bancorp is ending the spring with a stronger profile both locally and nationally. For Middletown, the message is clear: one of its oldest financial institutions is still expanding, still lending and still generating the kind of performance that puts it in rare company.