Exhibit 99.1  Press Release



PRESS RELEASE
January 28, 2000

                              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. ANNOUNCES
                            STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM

Fort Dodge, Iowa, January 28, 2000 - North Central Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq:
"FFFD") (the "Company"), the holding company for First Federal Savings Bank of
Iowa, announced that it will commence a stock repurchase program.  The program
authorizes the Company to repurchase up to 150,000 shares of its outstanding
shares of common stock during the next twelve months.  The repurchases will be
made from time to time, in open market transactions, at the discretion of
management.

This new program will commence at the completion of the Company's current
repurchase program which began on November 4, 1999.

North Central Bancshares, Inc., with over $367 million in assets, is the holding
company for First Federal Savings Bank of Iowa, a federally chartered stock
savings bank.  First Federal is a community-oriented institution serving Iowa
through 8 full service locations in Fort Dodge, Nevada, Ames, Burlington, Mt.
Pleasant, and Perry, Iowa.  First Federal's deposits are insured by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation.