Foreclosure rates: 20 cities with highest filings and state-by-state rankings

The highest foreclosure rates are primarily in cities where the proceedings don't move through the courts.

By Melinda Fulmer of MSN Real Estate

20 highest foreclosure cities (© Kimberly White/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In the first quarter of 2011, all but one of the 20 highest foreclosure rate metros — Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla. — were in "nonjudicial" states where foreclosure proceedings don't move through the courts. Foreclosures in these states are moving more rapidly.

California cities accounted for 11 of the 20 highest foreclosure rates. But Las Vegas retained its top spot in the quarter as the market where the most buyers who gambled on a home stood to lose.

Here are the cities with the highest rates, followed by state-by-state rankings.

20 cities with highest foreclosure rates, 2011 first quarter

Rank	Metro	Total # of filings	% Housing units	1/every # of households	% change from Q4 2010	% change from Q1 2010
1	Las Vegas-Paradise, NV	26,275	3.21	31	-11.54	-7.74
2	Modesto, CA	3,809	2.17	46	-9.52	-25.87
3	Stockton, CA	4,821	2.11	47	-7.2	-23.8
4	Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	36,422	2.1	48	14.16	-19.42
5	Vallejo-Fairfield, CA	3,111	2.06	48	-5.53	-14.11
6	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	29,859	2.04	49	-6.84	-27.17
7	Merced, CA	1,605	1.91	52	-11.18	-30.43
8	Reno-Sparks, NV	3,369	1.84	54	-5.66	-10.78
9	Bakersfield, CA	4,729	1.72	58	-17.35	-25.45
10	Fresno, CA	4,986	1.61	62	5.21	-7.51
11	Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, CA	13,606	1.59	63	-10.94	-21.98
12	Visalia-Porterville, CA	2,091	1.5	67	-7.93	-14.69
13	Boise City-Nampa, ID	3,458	1.42	70	3.01	-10.58
14	Prescott, AZ	1,456	1.36	73	25.41	-9.79
15	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA	27,250	1.26	79	-4.13	-6.48
16	Salt Lake City, UT	4,907	1.22	82	-0.45	-4.81
17	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	3,340	1.22	82	-9.44	-15.06
18	Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	4,248	1.16	86	-34.48	-58.74
19	Salinas, CA	1,616	1.15	87	2.34	-31.93
20	Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI	21,192	1.12	90	-9.58	-25.31

Chart data provided by RealtyTrac

Foreclosure filings by state, 2011 first quarter

Rank	State	Total # of filings	1/every # of households	% change from Q4 2010	% change from Q1 2010
1	Nevada	32,066	35	-10.38	-7.21
2	Arizona	46,047	60	15.18	-17.31
3	California	168,543	80	-3.57	-22.07
4	Utah	9,680	98	-7.08	-10
5	Idaho	6,117	106	8.38	-3.53
6	Georgia	37,509	108	-3.59	-6.02
7	Michigan	37,506	121	-9.71	-17.99
8	Florida	58,322	152	-47.16	-62.02
9	Colorado	13,847	157	-11.91	-13.58
10	Illinois	33,092	160	-20.42	-27.72
11	Hawaii	2,564	201	-15.77	-21.97
12	Ohio	24,697	206	-22.66	-25.66
13	Wisconsin	11,776	220	-4.96	1.13
14	Washington	12,784	220	-10.1	40.11
15	Oregon	7,058	232	-20.75	-41.55
16	Arkansas	5,306	247	-2.16	-15.05
17	South Carolina	8,225	253	-14.05	-12.36
18	Texas	34,646	281	1.45	-7.25
19	Tennessee	9,777	284	27.57	-18.32
20	New Hampshire	2,099	286	10.71	-18.89
21	Delaware	1,331	298	-1.04	9.91
22	New Mexico	2,895	303	-16.14	-13.27
23	Missouri	8,783	305	-10.37	-3.27
24	Minnesota	7,539	309	-12	-18.18
25	Rhode Island	1,440	314	-3.36	-22.95
26	Virginia	10,323	323	-20.59	-28.97
27	Iowa	4,108	327	-0.29	141.79*
28	Indiana	8,377	335	-30.41	-36.62
29	Kansas	3,599	343	1.44	-12.11
30	Louisiana	5,275	372	10.8	34.39
31	Alaska	753	377	9.77	-17.88
32	Oklahoma	4,313	383	-11.44	-24.15
33	Alabama	5,570	392	-11.5	-14.91
34	New Jersey	8,795	401	-42.99	-43.6
35	Maryland	4,777	490	-20.17	-67.84
36	North Carolina	8,178	521	-27.18	-11.7
37	Pennsylvania	10,401	531	-35.49	-29.29
38	Massachusetts	5,008	549	-46.21	-61.83
39	Connecticut	2,476	584	-39.43	-64.58
40	Montana	736	600	-13	-17.95
41	Kentucky	2,921	662	-16.9	-4.17
42	Maine	899	784	-0.44	-19.8
43	New York	8,252	972	-10.75	-32.08
44	Wyoming	244	1,022	3.83	67.12*
45	Nebraska	699	1,133	-26.03	-32.66
46	Mississippi	1,083	1,184	-43.24	-19.96
47	South Dakota	272	1,344	-33.82	19.3
48	West Virginia	275	3,250	-36.93	24.43
49	North Dakota	75	4,219	-37.5	-48.28
50	Vermont	32	9,820	-31.91	-8.57
	District of Columbia	63	4,526	-84.41	-87.6
--	U.S.	681,153	191	-14.76	-26.93

Chart data provided by RealtyTrac

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9Comments

Newest

Jan 4, 2012 8:59PM

It doesn't matter if houses like yours are now selling for half of what you currently owe. You barrow the money, you pay it back. Sure the banks sought out barrowers and then sold the notes. But who signed for the loans. Americans are selfish. And we want to always blame someone else, Bush , Banks, Libs, Subprime lenders. Suck it up. Pay your debt. If you can't. I feel bad for you and yours. In the future maybe more americans will buy smaller homes, less insurance, less property tax, less utility costs. Home people can payoff and be proud of holding the title to you house instead of taking a HILO to go on vacation. Buy a wamburgr at Macdonalds.

Previous replies

Someone (Buddys Thinking)

Jul 21, 2011 4:25AM

Funny how it all comes back to Bush. We will fix his mess eventually. We have a little more than five and a half years to clean it up. Sorry George, your watch, your mess. Have a nice day!

Previous replies

Suing the banks

Jun 29, 2011 7:29AM

Jessie,

I completely feel your pain and have found that the lenders were insured 80-90% of the home value at the time the loan was put together...this means the banks are making more money when they foreclose. I recently was able to settle on my mortgage and they lowered the principal balance leaving me at today's market value and restructured my rate to 2.56% fixed for 30 years. If you need this kind of help, email the gentleman that helped me. He is not a modification company, they sue the bank as leverage to get what we want. For anyone that needs his help I highly recommend him. His email is dbenter @ the ufan pc.com

Previous replies

save america

Jun 15, 2011 7:46AM

Keep the Libs out of loan modication. There is no way any prinicipal should be foregiven. Have not the dems like barney and chrissy done enough to destroy our economy. The federal government is the problem, not the answer~

Previous replies

save america

Jun 15, 2011 7:43AM

Don't buy a house unless it is at a steep discount. The economy overall will do nothing but worsen. The US dollar is not a safe currency. The safest currency is Australian, Sweden or Norway.

Previous replies

philip matlage

May 25, 2011 8:14AM

The "800 lb Gorilla in the room" for those seeking a loan modification is the "Mortgage Insurance Premium-aka-PMI", required of almost all loans originated with less than 20% down payment/equity. The Banks have no interest in modifying a loan that will be paid "nearly" in full by the PMI/insurance when they foreclose on a defaulted loan. They get the the loan paid off and the house, who would be foolish enough to modify the loan or go for a short-sale then they get it all.

Why isn't anyone asking about this issue, why is it not front page news, the banks get the bailout and the little-guy (taxpayer) gets the bill. Why do you think AIG was given the big bucks to keep it from insolvency, were they the "re-insurer" holding the bag for the "PMI" defaults?

Previous replies

Jessie Cummins

Apr 30, 2011 8:40PM

This is pathetic. I have worked for almost 3 years to try and keep my home. Gave them all the financial paper work they requested, and still they foreclose. I explained that here in Mesa, Arizona we can move in to much newer house for less than half of what our original mortgage is for. When will the banks wise up? They are getting deeper and deeper in trouble, they not only private home owners suing them, but so are other financial institutions. My trouble started with the ever popular CountryWide Mortgage, and that was transferred to Bank of America, who I see and hear is not willing to work with home owners. How is it that they can foreclose on you house then bid it out for less than half of what it is worth? Why don't they offer that to the home owner before they foreclose on them?

Previous replies

Canadian133

Apr 25, 2011 3:28PM

Real Estate in Palm Springs has attracted many Canadians including me because of the low price, good quality.

Previous replies

Todd A Phillips

Apr 16, 2011 4:16PM

I feel there are accurate for the Phoenix area. Some of you guys might be interested with another number. Approx 600 homes are scheduled for trustee sale EVERY WORK DAY in the Phoenix Metro area. Investors buy approx 55-75, with atlest 100 being taken by the banks. The rest postpone or cancel.