Q2 Zombie Properties Rise in Nearly 80% of U.S.

Nearly 1.4 million homes, or 1.3% of all residential properties in the US, were unoccupied in Q2 of this year, according to ATTOM’s most recent Vacant Property and Zombie Foreclosure Report. Both the prior quarter and Q2 of 2025 had the same rate.

In the second quarter, some 245,376 of the 104.9 million residential homes in the U.S. were facing foreclosure. Of those, 8,312 properties, or 3.4%, were “zombies,” which means the owners had given up on the properties prior to the conclusion of the foreclosure process. Compared to the 3.3% rate recorded in Q1 and at the same time last year, the zombie rate in the second quarter was marginally higher.

“The increase in zombie foreclosures across most states may reflect a foreclosure market that is slowly returning to more normalized levels,” said Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM. “At the same time, overall vacancy rates remain relatively steady nationwide, while zombie foreclosures still represent only a small share of homes in the foreclosure process.”

Note: The report analyzes publicly recorded real estate data collected by ATTOM—including foreclosure status, equity and owner-occupancy status—matched against monthly updated vacancy data. 

Zombie Homes on the Rise

In some 38 states and the District of Columbia, the number of zombie properties increased quarter-over-quarter. The states with the biggest growth from quarter-over-quarter among those with at least 100 zombie properties in the second quarter were:

1. Georgia (up 98% to 101 zombie properties)
2. North Carolina (up 67.2% to 102 zombies)
3. Indiana (up 42% to 294 zombies)
4. Iowa (up 35.5% to 126 zombies)
5. South Carolina (up 15.4% to 150 zombies)

Overall, just two states with 50 or more zombie properties showed a decline: New York (down 2.2% to 1,352 zombies) and Washington (down 13.1% to 53 zombies).

In the second quarter, the states with the greatest rates of vacant residential real estate were:

1. Oklahoma (2.4%)
2. Kansas (2.4%)
3. Alabama (2.2%)
4. West Virginia (2.1%)
5. Missouri (2.1%)

The states with the lowest rates of unemployment were:

1. New Hampshire (0.3%)
2. Vermont (0.4%)
3. New Jersey (0.5%)
4. Connecticut (0.5%)
5. Idaho (0.6%)

In Q2, the likelihood of empty residential homes was more than twice that of properties owned by institutional investors. 890,135, or 3.5%, of the 25.1 million properties owned by institutional investors were unoccupied.

The states where investor-owned properties with the greatest vacancy rates were:

1. Indiana (7.1%)
2. Illinois (6.2%)
3. Kansas (6%)
4. Oklahoma (6%)
5. Alabama (6%)

The states with the lowest vacancy rates for investor-owned homes were:

1. New Hampshire (0.9%)
2. Vermont (1%)
3. Idaho (1.3%)
4. North Dakota (1.5%)
5. New Jersey (1.6%)
   

Overall, according to ATTOM’s second-quarter analysis of empty and zombie homes, the national vacancy rate remained constant at 1.3%, while the percentage of zombie homes gradually increased to 3.4%. Most states saw an increase in zombie rates, which were higher in properties held by investors.

To read the full report, click here.