Report: Polk, Charlotte, Lee metro areas among highest foreclosure rates in US

Three areas in the region — in Polk, Charlotte and Lee counties — are among some of the hardest hit areas nationally in high foreclosure rates.

Lakeland-Winter Haven, Punta Gorda and Cape Coral all ranked among the country's 10 highest foreclosure-rate metro areas during the first half of 2026, according to a new national report, while Florida reclaimed the highest statewide foreclosure rate in the country. 

Data from property analytics firm ATTOM shows the Lakeland-Winter Haven metropolitan area in Polk had the nation's second-highest foreclosure rate during the first six months of 2026 among metro areas with at least 200,000 residents. Among the country's larger metropolitan areas with populations exceeding 500,000, Lakeland posted the highest foreclosure rate.

One in every 421 housing units in the Lakeland-Winter Haven area received a foreclosure filing during the first half of the year, according to ATTOM's Mid-Year 2026 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, released July 16. Only Punta Gorda recorded a worse foreclosure rate nationwide among similarly sized metro areas, with 0.5% of all housing units filing for foreclosure. 

The findings come as Florida recorded the highest statewide foreclosure rate in the country. One in every 373 housing units statewide had a foreclosure filing during the first six months of 2026, surpassing South Carolina and Indiana.

Nationally, foreclosure activity continued to climb after years of historically low levels following the pandemic. ATTOM reported 227,548 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings during the first half of the year, a 21% increase from the same period in 2025 and 28% higher than two years ago.

"Foreclosure activity continued to increase in the first half of 2026, but the broader picture remains one of a market that is gradually returning to more typical patterns," ATTOM CEO Rob Barber says in the release.

Barber says rising foreclosure starts, more completed foreclosures and faster processing times suggest the foreclosure system is normalizing after pandemic-era disruptions. At the same time, he says, the increases indicate some homeowners are experiencing greater financial strain than they were a year ago.

Florida dominated the list of metropolitan areas with the nation's highest foreclosure rates, with Jacksonville and Ocala also ranking among the country’s 10 highest foreclosure-rate metro areas during the first half of 2026.

ATTOM also found Florida remained one of the busiest states for new foreclosure cases. More than 20,300 Florida properties entered the foreclosure process during the first half of the year, second only to Texas. Lenders completed foreclosures on 2,070 Florida properties, the third-highest total in the nation behind Texas and California.

Nationwide, 164,566 properties began the foreclosure process during the first six months of 2026, up 18% from a year earlier. Bank repossessions increased 33% from the first half of 2025, although they remained below pre-pandemic levels.

ATTOM's foreclosure report tracks default notices, scheduled foreclosure auctions and bank repossessions using records from more than 3,000 U.S. counties, representing more than 99% of the nation's population.