Tampa foreclosure rates top the nation

Tampa now leads the nation in foreclosure rates, with the city recording the highest rate among all major U.S. metro areas as of October 2025. The current rate in Tampa is one in every 1,373 housing units facing foreclosure, a figure that stands out both in Florida and nationwide. Florida as a whole is leading the country in foreclosure activity, with several other cities across the state also reporting trouble, but Tampa is the epicenter of this trend.​

Recent Statistics

• Tampa: 1 in every 1,373 homes received foreclosure filings in October 2025, the highest rate among metros over 1 million residents.​

• Florida: The state posted the highest foreclosure rate nationally, reflecting broader housing distress across multiple cities.​

Factors Behind the Surge

• Rising housing costs, insurance rates, and homeowner association (HOA) fees are contributing to the spike in foreclosures for residents, especially those on fixed incomes.​

• Many people who purchased homes between 2020 and 2023 anticipated ongoing price increases; as values have leveled or dropped, some owners now face financial distress and negative equity, leading to more foreclosures.​

• The overall housing market in Tampa has cooled, leading to both a rise in foreclosures and a higher rate of canceled home sales—about 20% of pending deals in September 2025 failed to close, another leading national figure for the Tampa area.​

National Context

• Across the U.S., foreclosure activity increased for the eighth consecutive month year-over-year in October 2025, with nearly 37,000 properties receiving foreclosure filings—an increase from the previous month and the year before.​

• Other Florida cities such as Jacksonville and Orlando also have elevated rates, but Tampa remains at the top for large metro areas.​

Tampa’s situation is indicative of broader challenges in Florida’s housing market, with affordability issues, higher borrowing costs, and financial strain pushing more homeowners toward foreclosure than in any other part of the country.​