<ARTICLE> 9 <LEGEND> This Schedule Contains Summary Financial Information Extracted >From (A) Item 7 - 'Financial Statements And Supplementary Data" And Is Qualified In Its Entirety By Reference To Such (B) Financial Statements Included In This Report And Incorporated Herein By Refernce. </LEGEND> <CIK> 0000921085 <NAME> CENTRAL COAST BANCORP <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 3-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1998 <PERIOD-START> JUL-01-1998 <PERIOD-END> SEP-30-1998 <CASH> 40,827 <INT-BEARING-DEPOSITS> 0 <FED-FUNDS-SOLD> 47,507 <TRADING-ASSETS> 0 <INVESTMENTS-HELD-FOR-SALE> 96,578 <INVESTMENTS-CARRYING> 12,424 <INVESTMENTS-MARKET> 12,525 <LOANS> 298,232 <ALLOWANCE> 4,346 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 499,627 <DEPOSITS> 445,247 <SHORT-TERM> 0 <LIABILITIES-OTHER> 4,794 <LONG-TERM> 0 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <COMMON> 41,195 <OTHER-SE> 7,772 <TOTAL-LIABILITIES-AND-EQUITY> 499,672 <INTEREST-LOAN> 7,040 <INTEREST-INVEST> 1,853 <INTEREST-OTHER> 690 <INTEREST-TOTAL> 9,583 <INTEREST-DEPOSIT> 3,358 <INTEREST-EXPENSE> 3,358 <INTEREST-INCOME-NET> 6,225 <LOAN-LOSSES> 40 <SECURITIES-GAINS> 0 <EXPENSE-OTHER> 3,314 <INCOME-PRETAX> 3,361 <INCOME-PRE-EXTRAORDINARY> 3,361 <EXTRAORDINARY> 0 <CHANGES> 0 <NET-INCOME> 1,970 <EPS-PRIMARY> 0.41 <EPS-DILUTED> 0.38 <YIELD-ACTUAL> 5.40 <LOANS-NON> 1,024 <LOANS-PAST> 73 <LOANS-TROUBLED> 0 <LOANS-PROBLEM> 0 <ALLOWANCE-OPEN> 4,228 <CHARGE-OFFS> 4 <RECOVERIES> 82 <ALLOWANCE-CLOSE> 4,346 <ALLOWANCE-DOMESTIC> 4,346 <ALLOWANCE-FOREIGN> 0 <ALLOWANCE-UNALLOCATED> 0