2020, and increased $282.7 million, or 63.6%, from December 31, 2019. The increase in noninterest-bearing deposits is primarily deposits related to the Main Street Lending Program. Noninterest-bearing demand deposits represented 29.6% of total deposits as of December 31, 2020, up from 29.2% of total deposits as of September 30, 2020, and up from 23.1% of total deposits as of December 31, 2019. Savings and Money Market deposits increased $69.7 million or 12.9%, from September 30, 2020 primarily due to movement out of time deposits into Money Market accounts. The average cost of deposits was 0.46% for the fourth quarter of 2020, representing a 12 basis point decrease from the third quarter of 2020 and a 52 basis point decrease from the fourth quarter of 2019. The decrease in average cost of deposits was due primarily to the repricing of certificates of deposit during the quarter.
Borrowings decreased by $25.0 million during the fourth quarter of 2020 to $252.7 million due primarily to repayment of advances under the Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Borrowings totaled 8.2% of total assets at December 31, 2020, compared to 9.5% at September 30, 2020 and 4.4% at December 31, 2019.
Net Interest Margin and Net Interest Income
The net interest margin for the fourth quarter of 2020 was 4.36%, an increase of 46 basis points from the third quarter of 2020 and a decrease of 4 basis points from the fourth quarter of 2019. The tax equivalent net interest margin(1) for the fourth quarter of 2020 was 4.44%, an increase of 47 basis points from the third quarter of 2020 and 1 basis point from the fourth quarter of 2019. The increase from the third quarter of 2020 is due primarily to net accretion of deferred origination fees over deferred origination costs associated with PPP loan forgiveness. At the time of forgiveness the remaining net fee is recognized immediately. Excluding the impact of PPP loans, net interest margin and tax equivalent net interest margin for the fourth quarter of 2020 were 4.13% and 4.21%, respectively. Approximately $3.3 million of net deferred fees remain unamortized at December 31, 2020.
Net interest income totaled $29.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, an increase of 35.0% from $22.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2019. Interest income totaled $33.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, an increase of 24.5% from $27.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2019. Interest and fees on loans increased $2.8 million, or 9.3%, compared to the third quarter of 2020, and increased by $7.5 million, or 29.9%, from the fourth quarter of 2019. Interest expense was $3.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, a decrease of 10.4% from $4.3 million for the third quarter of 2020 and a decrease of 21.1% from $4.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2019.
Noninterest Income and Noninterest Expense
Noninterest income totaled $8.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $4.8 million for the third quarter of 2020. Gain on sale of Main Street loans represented $3.7 million of the $4.0 million increase. Additionally, swap fees were $2.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $494 thousand for the third quarter of 2020. These increases were offset by declines in gain on sale of SBA loans, SBA servicing fees, and mortgage referral fees of $312 thousand, $81 thousand, and $193 thousand, respectively.
Noninterest expense totaled $18.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, a decrease of 4.5% from $19.3 million in the third quarter of 2020, primarily due to a decrease in salaries and benefits. The decrease in salaries and benefits was primarily due to the core system conversion associated with the acquisition of Citizens State Bank, which was completed in July 2020 and allowed for the elimination of headcount redundancies.