Exhibit 99.1      Press Release









PRESS RELEASE
August 23, 2002                 For further information contact:
                                David M. Bradley
                                Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer
                                North Central Bancshares, Inc.
                                825 Central Avenue
                                Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501
                                515-576-7531

                NORTH CENTRAL BANCSHARES, INC. DECLARES DIVIDEND

David M. Bradley, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of North
Central Bancshares, Inc. (the "Company") announced today that the Company
declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.18 per share on the Company's
common stock for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2002. The dividend will
be payable to all stockholders of record as of September 16, 2002 and will be
paid on October 7, 2002.

North Central Bancshares, Inc. serves north central and southeastern Iowa at 9
full service locations in Fort Dodge, Nevada, Ames, Burlington, Mount Pleasant,
Perry and Ankeny, Iowa through its wholly-owned subsidiary, First Federal
Savings Bank of Iowa, headquartered in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The Bank's deposits are
insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The Company's stock is
traded on The Nasdaq National Market under the symbol "FFFD".