Federally insured credit unions experienced continuedimprovement in nearly every category during the fourth quarter of2016 even though at the median, membership declined 0.1%, the NCUA said Wednesday.

Nationally, median loan growth was 4% during the year ending inthe fourth quarter, while median asset growth was 3.2%, the agencysaid. The median rate of growth in deposits and shares was 3.3%,down from 3.6% a year ago. The median loans-to-share ratioreached 64%.

Overall, 51% of federally insured credit unions had fewermembers at the end of the fourth quarter than a year ago. Medianmembership dropped in 23 states. Three-quarters of the creditunions with declining membership had assets of less than $50million.

Alaska had the highest median membership growth rate of 2.4%,while membership dropped the most in Washington, D.C., where itdeclined 1.9%.

At the median, shares and deposits rose in every state over theyear ending with the fourth quarter of 2016. The median growth ratein shares and deposits was the highest in Washington state with6.7%, and the lowest in Arkansas with 0.3%.

The median growth rate for loans outstanding was the highest inOregon and Alaska, with 8.9% and the lowest in Connecticut whichsaw a 0.1% growth rate.

Nationally, 81% of federally insured credit unions had positivenet income during 2016, up from 79% in 2015. At least half thecredit unions in every state had positive net income during theyear, with Idaho and North Dakota leading at 95%.

The median loan delinquency rate among federally insured creditunions was 81 basis points—unchanged from a year ago. At the end ofthe fourth quarter, the median delinquency rate was the lowest inNorth Dakota, 36 basis points, and the highest in New Jersey, at168 basis points.