Exhibit 99.2      Press Release


PRESS RELEASE
August 29, 2003

                                 For further information contact:
                                 David M. Bradley
                                 Chairman, President and 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 $0.21 per share on the Company's
common stock for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2003. The dividend will
be payable to all stockholders of record as of September 16, 2003 and will be
paid on October 7, 2003.

North Central Bancshares, Inc. serves north central and southeastern Iowa at 10
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 recently
opened its tenth branch office in Clive, 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".