Filings rose but remained far below last decade’s crisis levels
Foreclosure activity in the United States ticked higher in 2025 as pandemic-era protections faded and lenders moved more seriously on overdue loans.
According to new figures from data provider ATTOM, filings were reported on 367,460 properties last year, up 14% from 2024 and 3% from 2023. However, it was still 25% below 2019 and a fraction of the nearly 2.9 million cases recorded at the height of the housing bust in 2010.
Those cases represented 0.26% of all US housing units in 2025, edging up from 0.23% a year earlier and well under the 2.23% peak seen in 2010.
“Foreclosure activity increased in 2025, reflecting a continued normalization of the housing market following several years of historically low levels,” Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM, said.
“While filings, starts, and repossessions all rose compared to 2024, foreclosure activity remains well below pre-pandemic norms and a fraction of what we saw during the last housing crisis. The data suggests that today’s uptick is being driven more by market recalibration than widespread homeowner distress, with strong equity positions and more disciplined lending continuing to limit risk.”
Lenders started foreclosure on 289,441 properties last year, up 14% from 2024 and more than triple the 2021 pandemic low, though still 14% below 2019 levels.
Texas (37,215 foreclosure starts), Florida (34,336 foreclosure starts) and California (29,777 foreclosure starts) led in new filings.
Metros such as New York (14,189 foreclosure starts), Chicago (13,312 foreclosure starts), Houston (13,009 foreclosure starts), Miami (8,936 foreclosure starts), and Los Angeles (8,503 foreclosure starts) posted the highest volumes of starts.
States with the highest foreclosure rates in 2025 included Florida, Delaware, South Carolina, Illinois and Nevada, with some metros in Florida, South Carolina and Ohio seeing filings on roughly one in every 150 to 200 housing units.
Bank repossessions also increased, with lenders taking back 46,439 properties, a 27% rise from 2024, but still down 68% from 2019 and 96% from the 2010 peak.
The broader credit picture showed early signs of strain. Federal Reserve data showed delinquency rates on single‑family mortgages remained far below post‑crisis norms, underscoring the buffer provided by strong home‑equity positions and tighter underwriting.
Industry executives stressed loss‑mitigation and payment‑relief tools as key to preventing an isolated uptick in distress from turning into a broader wave of forced sales.
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