Foreclosure filings climbed in April, with Delaware, South Carolina, and Florida emerging as the nation’s primary hot spots for distressed property activity.

Across the U.S., foreclosure rates are up 18% from a year ago, according to the latest data from ATTOM. And in the last month, there were a total of 42,430 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings. The total includes default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions. While that might seem high, it’s down 8% from March.

Meanwhile, foreclosure starts were up 12% from a year ago, while completed foreclosures increased 42%.

“Foreclosure activity continued its gradual trend higher in April, with both foreclosure starts and completed foreclosures posting annual gains,” said Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM.

“While overall filings declined from the previous month, the year-over-year increases suggest lenders may be working through distressed inventory as higher borrowing costs and affordability challenges impact some homeowners.”

Nationwide, 1 in every 3,388 housing units had a foreclosure filing in April, according to the firm’s latest report.

“Even so, foreclosure activity remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels,” said Barber.

ATTOM’s report incorporates documents filed in all three phases of foreclosure: default and notice of default; notice of foreclosure; and real estate-owned or REO properties, defined as properties that have been foreclosed on and repurchased by a bank.

Worst foreclosure states

The state with the worst foreclosure rate in April 2026 was Delaware, with 1 in every 1,739 housing units there showing a foreclosure filing.

In Delaware, the median listing price is $500,000 and homes stay on the market a median of 48 days, according to Realtor.com® data.

“Delaware’s high foreclosure rate is partly a math problem,” said Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com. “With a relatively small number of total housing units, it doesn’t take many filings to produce an alarming per-unit figure, so the rate overstates how dire conditions are for the average Delaware homeowner compared to a larger state with far more absolute filings.”

Even so, Jones says there is real underlying stress.

“Delaware recently completed its first comprehensive property tax reassessment in roughly 40 years, and many homeowners saw their tax bills jump, which pushed some over the financial edge,” she says.

Delaware real estate agent Jennifer Allan tells Realtor.com that overall housing costs and the rising cost of living also contribute to escalating foreclosure rates.

“In addition to taxes, Delaware has seen a sharp increase in overall housing costs over the last several years—not just mortgage payments, but also insurance, HOA costs, and general cost-of-living pressures,” she says. “Those rising ownership costs are becoming difficult for some households to absorb.”

Behind Delaware on the list of states with the highest foreclosure rates is South Carolina (1 in every 1,745). It has a median listing price of $365,000, with homes staying on the market a median of 54 days.

“South Carolina’s foreclosure pressure is largely a consequence of its own growth,” says Jones. “Rapid in-migration drove home prices well beyond what local income levels could support, and many buyers who purchased near the peak of that appreciation, with elevated mortgage rates on top, are now left with high monthly payments and little equity cushion. When financial stress hits, those homeowners have limited ability to refinance or sell their way out.”

In third place is Florida, with 1 in every 2,092 housing units there showing a foreclosure filing. Florida has a median listing price of $426,000, with homes staying on the market a median of 74 days.

“Florida homeowners are being squeezed from multiple directions simultaneously,” says Jones. “Homeowners insurance premiums have surged dramatically in recent years due to climate and storm risk, and property taxes have climbed alongside rapidly appreciated home values.”

Jones adds that Florida also has an unusually high concentration of condo owners, who face not only mortgage payments but rising HOA fees—expenses that get passed directly to unit owners.

“Together, these stacking costs have made monthly homeownership burdens unsustainable for a growing number of residents,” she says.

Rounding out the top five states for foreclosure rates are Indiana (1 in every 2,129) and Illinois (1 in every 2,262).

The median listing price in Indiana is $299,900, with a median time on the market of 44 days. In Illinois, the median listing price is $312,423, with 38 days on the market.

Indiana real estate agent Fred Krawczyk of Fred Krawczyk & Associates—who specializes in short sales—tells Realtor.com, “After COVID, we had artificial appreciation here in Indiana, and people were pulling out money and refinancing. As a result, I’m getting one to two foreclosures a week right now.”

Metros with the most foreclosures

Among metro areas with populations above 500,000, Lakeland, FL, recorded the highest foreclosure rate in April, with one filing for every 1,221 housing units.

In Lakeland, the median listing price is $335,000 and homes stay on the market a median of 75 days.

Following Lakeland is Columbia, SC (1 in every 1,287) and Charleston, SC (1 in every 1,483).

Columbia has a median listing price of $300,000 and a median time on the market of 43 days. In Charleston, the median listing price is $499,945, with 44 days on the market.

Rounding out the top five are Bakersfield, CA (1 in every 1,566), and Cape Coral, FL (1 in every 1,628).

The median listing price is $403,995 in Bakersfield and $399,600 in Cape Coral.

The median time on the market is 48 days in Bakersfield and 82 days in Cape Coral.

“There is definitely an element of people in certain parts of Florida who bought too high during the pandemic real estate boom and now need to sell and find themselves essentially upside down,” says Florida real estate agent Cara Ameer with Coldwell Banker.