According to ATTOM’s newly released Q1 2025 Vacant Property and Zombie Foreclosure Report, approximately 1.4 million (1,372,396) residential properties in the United States are currently vacant. This accounts for 1.3% of all homes nationwide, or roughly one in every 76 properties. The vacancy rate remains unchanged from the fourth quarter of last year but has seen a slight increase compared to the previous year.
WATCH: ATTOM #FiguresFriday – Top 10 U.S. Metros with the Highest Zombie Foreclosure Rates
ATTOM’s latest vacant properties analysis also reveals that that 212,268 residential properties in the U.S. are currently in the foreclosure process in the first quarter of this year. This represents a 1.5% decrease from the fourth quarter of last year and a 12.6% decline compared to the first quarter of 2024. Foreclosure activity has now fallen for five consecutive quarters, following a surge that occurred after the nationwide moratorium on foreclosures—imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic—was lifted in mid-2021.
The report notes that in the first quarter of 2025, there are 7,094 properties in pre-foreclosure that remain vacant as zombie foreclosures (abandoned by owners). This number is nearly identical to the previous quarter but shows a 3.3% decrease compared to the same time last year.
Also, according to ATTOM’s Q1 2025 report, the first-quarter data continues a long-term trend, with zombie properties making up only a tiny fraction of the nation’s overall housing stock. Currently, only one in every 14,668 homes in the U.S. has been abandoned due to foreclosure. This is an improvement from one in 14,591 in late 2024 and one in 13,905 during the first quarter of last year. The ratio remains significantly lower than the recent peak of one in 11,412 recorded in late 2023, marking one of the lowest levels in the past five years.
On a more granular level, the number of zombie properties has either decreased or stayed the same in 22 states, with most declines being under 25 properties. In contrast, 28 states have seen increases, typically by small amounts. Among states with at least 50 zombie foreclosures in the first quarter of 2025, the largest annual increases were seen in Missouri (up 85%, from 27 to 50), Michigan (up 51%, from 55 to 83), South Carolina (up 31%, from 74 to 97), Indiana (up 28%, from 215 to 276), and Kansas (up 26%, from 69 to 87).
In this post, we dive into the data behind ATTOM’s Q1 2025 Vacant Property and Zombie Foreclosure Report to uncover the top 10 U.S. metros, with at least 100,000 residential properties in Q12025 and at least 100 properties facing possible foreclosure, with the highest zombie foreclosure rates. Those metros include: Peoria, IL (15.5 percent of properties in the foreclosure process are vacant); Wichita, KS (12.5 percent); Kansas City, MO (10.9 percent); Toledo, OH (10.6 percent); Fort Wayne, IN (10 percent); Youngstown, OH (9.1 percent); Cleveland, OH (9.1 percent); St. Louis, MO (8.9 percent); Canton, OH (8.7 percent); Indianapolis, IN (8.5 percent).
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Written by: Megan Hunt