Florida & Jacksonville Foreclosure Statistics (2026)
Foreclosure activity is climbing across Florida in 2026, and Northeast Florida is feeling it. Here is the current data, what is driving it, and what it means whether you own a home here or are looking to buy. Free to cite with attribution to Momentum Realty.
Where Florida stands
In the first quarter of 2026, U.S. foreclosure filings rose about 26% year over year to roughly 118,700 properties — the highest in six years. Florida posted the third-highest foreclosure rate of any state, one filing for every 750 housing units, and recorded 10,099 foreclosure starts, second only to Texas.
| Area | Q1 2026 foreclosure rate | Trend vs. a year ago |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 in 1,211 units | +26% |
| Florida | 1 in 750 units | Rising (3rd-worst state) |
| Jacksonville metro | ~1 in 1,576 units (late 2025) | +49.8% YoY filings |
Rates are foreclosure filings per housing unit; a lower “1 in N” means more activity. Source: ATTOM Q1 2026; metro figures as reported April 2026.
Jacksonville is rising faster than the state
The Jacksonville metro saw foreclosure filings jump nearly 50% year over year in Q1 2026 — one of the sharpest increases among large U.S. metros. It is rising from a low base, so this is normalization rather than a 2008-style crisis, but the direction is clear. For the county picture, see the Duval, Clay, St. Johns, and Nassau scorecards.
What’s driving it
Two pressures stand out. Elevated mortgage and living costs have stretched budgets that were fine at lower rates, and Florida’s property-insurance squeeze has added hundreds or thousands of dollars a year to the true cost of owning. We track that in our insurance-crisis report, true-cost calculator, and affordability calculator.
What it means for you
If you own and are struggling: Florida’s judicial process gives you months to act, and years of price gains mean many owners have equity. See your options if you are facing foreclosure, how a short sale works, or request a cash offer through Momentum Offers (below).
If you are buying: more distressed inventory is reaching the market. Learn how to buy foreclosures and short sales in Jacksonville safely.
Need speed and certainty? Get a cash offer.
The owners of Momentum also buy homes directly through Momentum Offers, a separate company. If a fast, as-is sale matters more than squeezing out the last dollar — for example when a foreclosure sale date is close — you can request a no-obligation cash offer and close on your timeline, with no repairs, showings, or listing. We’ll show you both numbers — the cash offer and what your home would likely net on the open market — so you can compare and choose. Learn how Momentum Offers works →
The buyer is Momentum Offers, a separate sister company — not Momentum Realty. Momentum Realty is the licensed brokerage that can list your home; Momentum Offers is the affiliated company that buys homes directly for cash. The two are separate companies under common ownership (Momentum’s principals, who are licensed Florida agents), disclosed up front. A cash purchase is one option; listing with Momentum Realty or any brokerage is another, and you are free to choose.
Common questions
Is Florida in a foreclosure crisis in 2026?
How does Jacksonville compare to the rest of Florida?
Why are Florida foreclosures rising?
Related reading
- Facing foreclosure? Your options — Every realistic path if you're behind on your mortgage.
- How a short sale works in Florida — The process, credit impact, and costs, in plain English.
- How to buy foreclosures & short sales — The four ways to buy distressed property safely.
Sources: ATTOM Q1 2026 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report; Florida and Jacksonville metro foreclosure figures as reported April 2026. Process steps reflect Florida’s judicial foreclosure law and federal mortgage-servicing rules and are general information, not legal advice. Figures as of 2026-06-16.