Credit Unions You Can Join in California

Community credit unions in California that take members by where you live, work, worship or go to school. Each one is listed largest first, with its own wording and the site we read it on.

Credit unions anyone can join, wherever you live →

How to qualify in California

A community credit union serves the area named in its charter. If you live, work, worship or study there, you can usually join; many also accept people who run a business or volunteer in the area.

Relatives and household members of a member can often join too. Check the wording below against where you live, then open a share account to become a member.

Three routes into membership: Where you live, Your job or group, Your family. Each ends with opening a share (savings) account, which makes you a member-owner.Where you livelive, work, worship or study in the named areaYour job or groupemployer, union, church or association namedYour familya relative or household member already belongsOpen a shareaccountyou are now a member-owner
Every route ends the same way: a small deposit into a share account makes you a member. Check the credit union's own wording for the exact rules.

Community credit unions in California

Members, largest first: Mission Credit Union 331,664; Wescom Central Credit Union 264,807; California Coast Credit Union 211,695; Star One Credit Union 134,349; Lbs Financial Credit Union 134,234; Ventura County Credit Union 79,535; Pacific Service Credit Union 70,615; 1st United Credit Union 61,303Mission Credit Union332kWescom Central Credit Union265kCalifornia Coast Credit Union212kStar One Credit Union134kLbs Financial Credit Union134kVentura County Credit Union80kPacific Service Credit Union71k1st United Credit Union61k
Members of the largest community credit unions in California, from NCUA data.
  1. Mission Credit Union

    Where you live or work

    San Diego, CA · 331,664 members · $7.3 billion in assets

    “Anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in San Diego County can become a member of Mission Fed.”from missionfed.com
    Full details and how to join →
  2. Wescom Central Credit Union

    Where you live or work

    Pasadena, CA · 264,807 members · $6.6 billion in assets

    “Anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in Southern or Central California * is eligible to open an account at Wescom.”from wescom.org
    Full details and how to join →
  3. California Coast Credit Union

    Where you live or work

    San Diego, CA · 211,695 members · $3.5 billion in assets

    “Serving anyone who lives or works in San Diego, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Imperial, or San Bernardino counties.”from calcoastcu.org
    Full details and how to join →
  4. Star One Credit Union

    Where you live or work

    Sunnyvale, CA · 134,349 members · $9.7 billion in assets

    “Membership is open to those who live, regularly work or attend school in the following California counties: Santa Clara, Alameda, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Stanislaus.”from starone.org
    Full details and how to join →
  5. Lbs Financial Credit Union

    Where you live or work

    Long Beach, CA · 134,234 members · $2.2 billion in assets

    “If you don’t qualify based on employment, education, geography or family, but you live or work in California, you may join LBS Financial by becoming a member of the Financial Fitness Association for an additional one-time payment of $8.00.”from lbsfcu.org
    Full details and how to join →
  6. Ventura County Credit Union

    Where you live or work

    Ventura, CA · 79,535 members · $1.5 billion in assets

    “Join VCCU If you live, work or attend school in Ventura or Santa Barbara counties, you can join!”from vccuonline.net
    Full details and how to join →
  7. Pacific Service Credit Union

    Where you live or work

    Concord, CA · 70,615 members · $1.3 billion in assets

    “Anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Marin, Napa, Placer, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano or Sonoma counties (California).”from pacificservice.org
    Full details and how to join →
  8. 1st United Credit Union

    Where you live or work

    Pleasanton, CA · 61,303 members · $1.3 billion in assets

    “Anyone who lives, works, or attends school in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Solano, Stanislaus, or Kings Counties, California.”from 1stunitedcu.org
    Full details and how to join →

Who can join, across California's credit unions

Who can join, across 228 credit unions in California. Anyone can join: 0; Anyone, via an association or donation: 2; Live, work or worship in a named area: 43; Employer, union or church group: 6; Sentence too vague to sort: 51; No eligibility sentence on file: 126Anyone can join0Anyone, via an association or donation2Live, work or worship in a named area43Employer, union or church group6Sentence too vague to sort51No eligibility sentence on file126
Credit unions in California on NCUA's list, sorted by the eligibility sentence on each one's own website.

Not in one of these areas?

Some credit unions take anyone, directly or through an association, wherever you live. The largest include Connexus Credit Union, American Heritage Credit Union, Utah Community Credit Union.