Florida Among States Hit Hardest by Foreclosures in May
Florida posted one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country last month, according to a newly released report from property data analytics firm ATTOM. The state ranked second nationally for foreclosure filings in May 2025, with one in every 2,536 housing units impacted.
The report, released Tuesday, highlights a troubling trend for several Florida cities. Lakeland, Cape Coral, and Jacksonville all landed in the top five metro areas nationwide for foreclosure rates among cities with at least 500,000 residents. Lakeland had the highest foreclosure rate in the country, with one in every 1,506 housing units receiving a foreclosure notice. Cape Coral followed closely behind with one in every 1,674 units, while Jacksonville reported one in every 1,888.
Florida also saw one of the largest numbers of new foreclosure starts, with 2,780 properties entering the process in May—second only to Texas. In Miami, 740 foreclosure starts were recorded, making it one of the top five major metro areas for new filings.
Completed foreclosures, or bank repossessions, also increased across the state. Florida reported 234 completed foreclosures last month, ranking it among the top five states for repossessions.
Nationally, foreclosure activity showed a slight overall dip in May compared to April, but was still up 9 percent from the same time last year. ATTOM CEO Rob Barber said the trends suggest lenders may still be working through a backlog of cases even as new default filings slow.
While the report didn’t analyze specific causes behind Florida’s numbers, housing analysts point to a mix of factors impacting homeowners in the state, including rising property insurance rates, inflation, and lingering effects from pandemic-era relief programs that have now expired.
ATTOM’s monthly foreclosure report collects data from over 3,000 U.S. counties, accounting for more than 99 percent of the national population. The data includes default notices, scheduled auctions, and completed bank repossessions.
