Kentucky had 248 insured banks, 171 of them state-chartered, as of 2002. Total assets stood at $55 billion. Ninety-three percent of the state's insured banks are community institutions (with assets under $1 billion). Real estate accounts for the largest proportion of loan portfolios of community banks headquartered in Kentucky. The median return on assets (ROA) ratio (the measure of earnings in relation to all resources) and net interest margin (NIM) (the difference between the lower rates offered to savers and the higher rates charged on loans) increased in 2002 for Kentucky's banks, demonstrating they weathered the recession relatively well.