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Commercial real estate loans helped drive growth at several local banks in 2021 as the industry moved away from Paycheck Protection Program lending in the second half of 2021.

Lowell-based Enterprise Bank CEO Jack Clancy said in the bank’s fourth quarter earnings statement that the bank’s core loans, excluding PPP loans, grew 8 percent in 2021, with most of that growth concentrated in the fourth quarter, when the bank saw core loans increase by 6 percent.

Clancy said the loan growth occurred largely in the bank’s commercial real estate portfolio and reflected the results of strong business development efforts.

Enterprise Bank had fourth quarter net income of $10.8 million, or $0.90 per diluted common share, compared to $9.9 million, or $0.82 per diluted common share, in the fourth quarter of 2020. Full-year net income for 2021 was $42.2 million, or $3.50 per diluted common share, compared to $31.5 million, or $2.64 per diluted common share, in 2020.

Enterprise at the end of 2021 had total loans of $2.92 billion and customer deposits of $3.98 billion. Total assets were $4.45 billion on Dec. 31, 2021, compared to $4.01 billion at the end of 2020.

Hingham Institution for Savings had net loans of $2.99 billion at the end of 2021, up 20 percent during the year. The bank said in its earnings statement that the growth was concentrated in its commercial real estate portfolio.

Hingham Institution for Savings’ total assets increased to $3.43 billion in 2021, up 20 percent from the end of 2020.

The bank’s fourth quarter net income was $16.67 million, or $7.56 per share diluted, compared to $17.04 million, or $7.78 per share diluted, in the fourth quarter of 2020. Full-year net income in 2021 was $67.45 million, or $30.65 per share diluted, compared to $50.77 million, or $23.25 per share diluted, in 2020.

James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank, said the bank had record earnings in 2021.

The bank’s parent company had full-year 2021 net income of $23.7 million, or $1.02 per diluted share, compared to net income of $11.2 million, or $0.45 per diluted share, in 2020. Fourth quarter net income was $6.2 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, compared to net income of $5.0 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2020.

“Our priority, as we enter 2022, is our continuing loan production growth funded through utilizing our excess liquidity from our strong core deposit growth,” Hagan said in the bank’s earnings statement. “Commercial real estate activity has steadily grown as we continue to add new customer relationships.”

Hagan added that the success of the bank’s lending services has fueled profitability and provided new market opportunities, including in Connecticut.

Westfield Bank said its commercial real estate loans increased $62 million, or 6.8 percent, in the fourth quarter and increased $146 million, or 17.5 percent, year-over-year.

The bank’s total assets at the end of 2021 were $2.5 billion, up 7.3 percent from the end of 2020. Total loans on Dec. 31 were $1.9 billion, and total deposits were $2.3 billion.

All three banks increased their quarterly shareholder dividend, with Westfield’s board increasing the dividend by 20 percent. Enterprise saw a 10.8 percent increase in its dividend rate.

Hingham Institution for Savings has increased its dividend for the past four quarters, including most recently by 4 percent, and also continued its practice of paying a special shareholder dividend in the fourth quarter. The bank said in a statement last quarter that it has paid a special dividend in each of the past 27 years.