Exhibit 99.1      Press Release











PRESS RELEASE
November 30, 2001                  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 $0.15 per share on the Company's
common stock for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2001. The dividend will
be payable to all stockholders of record as of December 17, 2001 and will be
paid on January 7, 2002.

On September 20, 2001, the Company commenced a new stock repurchase program for
100,000 shares, of which 40,000 shares remain to be repurchased. The Company has
1,729,580 shares of common stock currently outstanding.

North Central Bancshares, Inc. serves north central and southeastern Iowa at 8
full service locations in Fort Dodge, Nevada, Ames, Burlington, Mount Pleasant
and Perry, 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".