North Carolina No. 6 in bank branch losses

North Carolina ranked No. 6 in number of bank branch losses in the fourth quarter, losing a net total of 13, according to a report Tuesday from SNL Financial.

As banks continue to reconcile customers' increasing online habits and low interest rates with expansive (and expensive) branch networks, the nationwide total has been steadily dwindling. But the fourth quarter, with a net loss of 229 branches, represented a "spike," SNL said. Charlotte's Bank of America closed the most across the country, with a net 47.

Another North Carolina bank, BB&T, ranked fourth in that category, closing a net 22 branches in the quarter. The Winston-Salem bank has already announced, however, that it will open 30 branches in Texas in 2013.

States that lost the most branches, per SNL's data:
1) Pennsylvania: -28
2) Indiana: -25
3) Florida: -18
4) Colorado: -17
5) Illinois: -15

The only states to gain more than two branches were California (9) and Massachusetts (5).

South Carolina lost a net three branches.