A new data report from ATTOM found 1.33% of US residential properties, or nearly 1.4 million homes, were vacant during the first quarter of this year. That was essentially the same level as the 1.32% rate from both the previous quarter and the first quarter of 2025.
Out of the nation’s nearly 104.8 million residential properties, 230,401 were in the process of foreclosure at the time of ATTOM’s report. Of those, 7,540 properties, or 3.27%, were “zombies,” meaning their owners had abandoned them before the end of the foreclosure proceedings. That rate was essentially the same as the prior quarter but down slightly from 3.34% from the same time last year.
In 28 states and the District of Columbia, the number of zombie properties fell quarter-over-quarter. Among states with at least 50 zombie properties, the largest quarter-over-quarter increases were in Maryland (up 45.6% to 115 zombies), South Carolina (up 34% to 130 zombies), Oklahoma (up 26.3% to 72 zombies), California (up 15.1% to 313 zombies), and Nevada (up 11.9% to 66 zombies).
Properties held by institutional investors, rather than individual owners, were more likely to be vacant. Of the roughly 25.2 million institutional investor-owned homes, about 3.5% were vacant.
“It will come as no surprise to anyone shopping for a home that vacancy rates remain low. That is one reason home prices have continued to rise despite ongoing affordability challenges,” said Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM. “It is also encouraging for both neighborhoods and the broader market that even among properties in foreclosure, vacancy rates remain relatively low.”
