Top 10 Counties with the Highest Zombie Foreclosure Rates in Q2 2025
Industry Update
May 30, 2025
Source: ATTOM
According to ATTOM’s newly released Q2 2025 Vacant Property and Zombie Foreclosure Report, approximately 1.4 million (1,382,480) residential properties—representing about 1.3 percent of all U.S. homes—are currently vacant. This marks the 13th straight quarter the national vacancy rate has remained steady at 1.3 percent.
ATTOM’s latest vacant properties analysis also shows that 222,358 properties were in the foreclosure process in Q2 2025—an increase of 4.8 percent from the previous quarter but a 6.3 percent decline from a year ago. This uptick follows five consecutive quarters of declining foreclosure activity.
The report notes that in the second quarter of 2025, 7,329 pre-foreclosure properties—3.3 percent—were classified as “zombie” homes, meaning they were vacant and abandoned by owners during the foreclosure process. This share remains nearly unchanged from Q1 2025 but is up slightly from 2.9 percent a year earlier.
Also, according to ATTOM’s Q2 2025 report, zombie properties—often neglected and potentially harmful to neighborhood property values—are considered indicators of distress in the housing market and broader economy. However, with just one in every 14,207 U.S. homes falling into this category in Q2 2025, the low rate reflects the continued resilience of the post-pandemic housing market.
On a more granular level, the number of zombie properties rose quarter-over-quarter in 30 states, though most increases were modest. Similarly, the 19 states that saw declines experienced only slight decreases. Year-over-year, the largest percentage increases in zombie properties among states with at least 50 such homes were seen in North Carolina (52.5 percent more zombie properties, from 59 in the second quarter of 2024 to 90 in the second quarter of 2025), Iowa (up 52.1 percent, from 71 to 108), Texas (up 51.9 percent from 162 to 246), South Carolina (up 43.8 percent from 64 to 92), and Kansas (up 29 percent, from 69 to 89)
In this post, we dive into the data behind ATTOM’s Q2 2025 Vacant Property and Zombie Foreclosure Report to uncover the top 10 U.S. counties, with at least 50,000 residential properties in Q2 2025 and at least 100 properties facing possible foreclosure, with the highest zombie foreclosure rates. Those counties include: Peoria County, Illinois (17.6 percent of properties in the foreclosure process are vacant); Broome County, New York (13.8 percent); Cuyahoga County, Ohio (11.2 percent); Baltimore City County, Maryland (10.8 percent); Marion County, Indiana (10.5 percent); Lucas County, Ohio (9.9 percent); Allen County, Indiana (9.8 percent); Saint Louis County, Missouri (9.6 percent); Pinellas County, Florida (9.3 percent); Vanderburgh County, Indiana (8.7 percent).
For full report, please click the source link above.