Which Florida metros have the highest foreclosure rates right now?
Florida's foreclosure pressure is concentrated in a handful of Gulf Coast and Central Florida metros, and the worst of it is not where many people expect. According to a new video analysis from the FloridaPulse channel, which draws on ATTOM's midyear foreclosure report and Zillow data through August 2026, Punta Gorda (Charlotte County) had the highest foreclosure rate of any US metro in the first half of the year, at roughly one filing for every 200 housing units. Lakeland, Cape Coral, Jacksonville and Ocala also rank among the worst in the country.
The markets most at risk of further price softness are those where values have already fallen furthest from their 2022 or 2024 peaks: Punta Gorda, Cape Coral, North Port-Sarasota and Naples. Below is the full picture, with context the video only touches on.
The statewide numbers behind the headline
FloridaPulse host Roy Baker opens with the state-level figures, all attributed to ATTOM:
- 27,494 Florida properties had a foreclosure filing in the first six months of 2026, the highest state foreclosure rate in the nation, about one home in every 373.
- Filings were up roughly one-third from a year earlier.
- Lenders started foreclosure on 20,358 Florida homes in the first half, second only to Texas.
- In August alone, 3,189 foreclosure starts were recorded, the most of any state. Only South Carolina and Nevada had a worse filing rate.
- Nationally, about 40,300 properties had a filing in August, up 13% year over year. Florida ran at one filing per 2,397 units that month.
A "filing" in this kind of report can mean a default notice, a scheduled auction or a bank repossession. It is not the same as a family losing a home, and many filings are cured or resolved before a sale. Our earlier look at whether rising foreclosures are big enough to move prices explains that distinction in more detail.
Baker is careful on one point: this is not 2008. Back then, Florida, Arizona, California and Nevada fell together. Now the stress is regional, which he describes as "a thousand small cuts" of falling values, higher insurance renewals and rising association fees.
The five metros with the worst foreclosure rates
Baker's top five are the Florida metros that ranked worst nationally for first-half 2026 filings. Note that the video's captions garble some percentages; these are the filing rates as ATTOM-style ratios (for example, one in 320 homes is about 0.31%).
| Rank | Metro | Filing rate, H1 2026 | Typical value (Zillow) | Change vs. peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punta Gorda | ~0.5% (about 1 in 200) | ~$297,300 | -24.2% (Aug 2022) |
| 2 | Lakeland | ~0.48% (just under 1 in 200) | ~$295,800 | -8.5% (Sept 2022) |
| 3 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers | ~0.35% (about 1 in 285) | ~$335,400 | -18.8% (Aug 2022) |
| 4 | Jacksonville | ~0.31% (about 1 in 320) | ~$350,800 | -5.5% (Sept 2022) |
| 5 | Ocala | ~0.31% (about 1 in 320) | ~$269,200 | -6.4% (Oct 2022) |
Punta Gorda: the biggest price drop in the state
Punta Gorda's rate stayed high in August, at one filing per 1,249 housing units, nearly double the statewide pace. The reason, Baker argues, is simple: it has had the largest decline in Florida. The typical home lost about $94,856 from its 2022 peak, and values fell 4.9% in the past year.
Many buyers here are retirees on fixed incomes. When equity shrinks while insurance and association costs rise, the usual fallback of selling and downsizing disappears. Homes took 114 days to reach pending status in August, versus 83 in 2019. In fairness, inventory fell from about 4,200 to 3,100 homes year over year, and only about 21% of listings had a price cut.
Lakeland: modest price drop, heavy filings
Lakeland is the surprise. Its decline is ordinary, about 8.5% from peak, or roughly $27,500, yet it ranks second. Baker points to who buys there: Polk County is one of the cheaper ways into Central Florida, so buyers often have less room in the monthly budget.
Supply is the other factor. About 5,150 homes were listed at the end of August versus roughly 3,500 in 2019, about 46% more, and homes took 80 days to go pending versus 49 in 2019. New construction sold at a median near $325,000, above the typical existing home.
Cape Coral, Jacksonville and Ocala
Cape Coral-Fort Myers combines deep losses (down 4.4% in a year) with slow sales: 119 days to pending, against 104 in 2019. A buyer at the 2022 peak with a 10% to 15% down payment may have little or no equity left on paper. Inventory has returned to roughly 2019 levels, about 10,500 homes from more than 13,000 a year ago, and only about 21% of listings had a cut.
Jacksonville shows that price is not the whole story. Values are down just half a percent over the year, yet filings are among the nation's highest. Baker's explanation is that foreclosure is about payments, not only values: insurance, taxes and association fees can outrun income even when a home holds its price. Days to pending improved from 90 a year ago to 80.
Ocala is the only metro on the list where homes are taking noticeably longer to sell than a year ago: 95 days, versus 83 last year and 67 in 2019. Inventory is about 3,670 homes versus roughly 2,700 in 2019, and new construction sold near $300,000, which competes with older resale homes.
The five metros where the equity cushion is thinnest
The bottom half of the list is ranked on Zillow data rather than foreclosure rates. Baker's case is that these are the places where owners have the least room if something goes wrong.
| Rank | Metro | Typical value | Year-over-year | From peak | Days to pending (Aug) | Listings with price cut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Deltona-Daytona (Volusia) | ~$330,400 | -1% | -7.9% | 89 | ~27% |
| 7 | North Port-Sarasota | n/a (garbled) | -3.1% | -16.7% | 91 | ~25% |
| 8 | Naples (Collier) | ~$550,700 | -2.4% | -12.2% | 130 | ~17% |
| 9 | Tampa | ~$358,700 | -1.5% | -8.2% | 70 | ~31% |
| 10 | Orlando | ~$383,400 | -1.8% | ~-6% | 70 | ~28% |
A few details stand out:
- Tampa has the highest price-cut share among the large Florida metros he tracks, 31%, with about 22,000 homes for sale versus roughly 18,300 in 2019.
- Naples has lost about $76,299 from its March 2024 peak, but its slow 130-day pace is partly seasonal (122 days in 2019), and inventory is below 2019 levels. The risk there is larger loan balances and carrying costs, not high filing counts.
- North Port-Sarasota has lost about $80,849 from peak, and about $86,000 (nearly 18%) in Sarasota County alone.
- Orlando is down roughly $25,000 from its May 2024 peak. A buyer near that peak with a small down payment could struggle to cover commission and closing costs on a sale.
Why a foreclosure down the street matters to every owner
Baker makes a point that applies even if you never plan to sell. A short sale or auction at a deep discount becomes a public record, and appraisers can use it as a comparable sale. If it is close to your home and recent, it can pull estimates down, even if your property is in better condition.
This is why the geography matters. In markets where several owners bought near the top and are stretched, a few discounted sales can influence values on a block for months. It is also one reason resale owners compete with builders: our report on Southwest Florida resale values and builder incentives shows how new-home discounts can set the price ceiling for older listings.
Where the video's argument has limits
The analysis is useful, but a few cautions apply.
- Filings are not foreclosures. ATTOM counts a range of notices and actions, and many never reach a completed sale.
- Zillow's value index is an estimate. The "typical home value" blends many properties and is not an average sale price. A drop "from peak" does not mean the average owner lost that amount, since many bought years before 2022.
- Mixed ranking method. The top five use filing rates, the bottom five use equity and market speed, so the 1-to-10 order is not one consistent scale.
- Several markets are improving. Baker himself notes lower inventory in Tampa, Jacksonville, Cape Coral and Punta Gorda, and shorter selling times in Jacksonville and North Port-Sarasota versus a year ago.
- Small samples can swing. Punta Gorda is a smaller metro, so a modest number of filings moves the rate more than it would in Jacksonville.
For a broader view, see our county-level look at Florida counties where Zillow shows prices falling fastest. Baker says his next video covers Zillow's update for all 67 counties.
What this means for you
This is general information, not personal financial advice.
If you are a buyer: Falling prices and longer days to pending in places like Cape Coral, Punta Gorda and Ocala may give you negotiating room, but check the full cost of ownership first. Get insurance quotes before making an offer, ask about association fees and any pending assessments, and compare recent closed sales, not just asking prices. Price-cut listings often close below their first asking price.
If you are a seller: In metros where 25% to 31% of listings have cuts, pricing at the market's current level from the start can matter more than testing a high number. Calculate your net proceeds after commission and closing costs; our guide to the real cost to sell a house can help. If your home competes with new construction, ask your agent how builder incentives are affecting comparable sales.
If you are an owner: You do not need to sell, but it helps to know your numbers: monthly housing cost versus income, insurance renewal timing, and how much equity you realistically have. If you are falling behind, contact your servicer early. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and HUD-approved housing counselors offer free guidance on options such as loan modifications.
What to watch next
Three indicators will show whether this pressure spreads or fades: ATTOM's monthly foreclosure reports, Zillow's monthly value and inventory data, and local insurance renewal trends. If filings rise while days to pending keep lengthening, the risk of discounted sales grows. If inventory keeps declining, as it has in many of these metros, sellers may find some relief.
The data suggests Florida is facing slow, uneven stress rather than a statewide collapse. For most owners, the practical question is local: how much equity you hold, and how quickly homes like yours are selling.