High housing costs, a potential end to a moratorium on evictions and prolonged unemployment have many Americans worried about keeping a roof over their heads. We found that nationwide, nearly 33% of people (1 in 3) are worried they will face foreclosure or eviction in the next two months.
Key findings:
- Almost 5% of people are behind on their mortgage payments.
- California, Vermont and Louisiana have the highest numbers of people facing foreclosure.
- Alabama, Kentucky and South Carolina have the highest numbers of people facing eviction.
- Nearly 51% of people who are already behind on their rent feel that they will lose their home within the next two months
Nationwide, housing costs have risen by nearly 70% in the last decade. Income, meanwhile, is up only 30% over the same time period. Combine this disparity with record pandemic unemployment and we have a situation where housing has simply become unaffordable for many people.
Our team of analysts found that 8% of Americans are worried they will soon lose their house and another 5% are behind on their mortgage payments. Those numbers, however, vary significantly from state to state.
| State | % facing foreclosure | % behind on mortgage payments |
|---|---|---|
| California | 12% | 6% |
| Vermont | 11% | 2% |
| Louisiana | 10% | 7% |
| Georgia | 10% | 7% |
| Texas | 10% | 7% |
| North Carolina | 10% | 7% |
| Tennessee | 10% | 9% |
| Wyoming | 9% | 5% |
| New Mexico | 9% | 5% |
| Maryland | 9% | 6% |
| Nevada | 9% | 5% |
| Arkansas | 9% | 6% |
| Florida | 9% | 6% |
| Ohio | 9% | 5% |
| Rhode Island | 8% | 3% |
| South Carolina | 8% | 5% |
| Oklahoma | 8% | 4% |
| Mississippi | 8% | 4% |
| North Dakota | 7% | 3% |
| Illinois | 7% | 4% |
| Kentucky | 7% | 3% |
| Alaska | 7% | 6% |
| Michigan | 7% | 3% |
| Nebraska | 7% | 5% |
| Connecticut | 7% | 3% |
| Colorado | 7% | 5% |
| Hawaii | 7% | 8% |
| Kansas | 6% | 3% |
| West Virginia | 6% | 7% |
| Indiana | 6% | 5% |
| Utah | 6% | 6% |
| Alabama | 6% | 5% |
| Arizona | 6% | 4% |
| Montana | 6% | 3% |
| New Hampshire | 6% | 4% |
| Minnesota | 6% | 5% |
| Pennsylvania | 6% | 3% |
| New Jersey | 6% | 6% |
| Delaware | 6% | 6% |
| Massachusetts | 5% | 5% |
| New York | 5% | 6% |
| Idaho | 5% | 5% |
| Virginia | 5% | 4% |
| Missouri | 5% | 4% |
| Maine | 5% | 4% |
| Iowa | 4% | 2% |
| Washington | 4% | 3% |
| Oregon | 4% | 2% |
| South Dakota | 4% | 2% |
| Wisconsin | 3% | 1% |
| U.S. Average | 8% | 5% |
While many people are worried about losing their homes, the threat of eviction looms even larger. Rental prices are rising in suburban areas, and we found 19 states where more than 25% of people say they can’t currently pay rent or are worried they won’t be able to in the next two months.
| State | % at risk of eviction |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 42% |
| Kentucky | 40% |
| South Carolina | 38% |
| Arkansas | 35% |
| Louisiana | 34% |
| Georgia | 34% |
| Nebraska | 31% |
| Texas | 31% |
| Tennessee | 30% |
| North Carolina | 30% |
| Oklahoma | 30% |
| Mississippi | 28% |
| New York | 26% |
| Michigan | 26% |
| Virginia | 26% |
| Alaska | 26% |
| Pennsylvania | 25% |
| Nevada | 25% |
| New Jersey | 25% |
| Wyoming | 24% |
| North Dakota | 24% |
| Ohio | 24% |
| California | 24% |
| Indiana | 23% |
| Montana | 22% |
| Florida | 22% |
| Hawaii | 22% |
| Rhode Island | 21% |
| Connecticut | 21% |
| Arizona | 21% |
| Kansas | 20% |
| Maryland | 20% |
| Illinois | 20% |
| Minnesota | 20% |
| Missouri | 20% |
| Iowa | 19% |
| Maine | 19% |
| Massachusetts | 19% |
| Colorado | 19% |
| New Mexico | 19% |
| Delaware | 19% |
| Washington | 18% |
| Wisconsin | 18% |
| Oregon | 18% |
| Vermont | 18% |
| West Virginia | 16% |
| South Dakota | 16% |
| Utah | 15% |
| Idaho | 14% |
| New Hampshire | 9% |
| U.S. average | 25% |
The threat of eviction is even more real for people who are already behind on their rent. We found that 25% of people are behind on their rent in Kentucky. And of those 25%, 61% say they will likely be evicted in the next two months. More than 75% of people who are behind on their rent in Arkansas, North Dakota, Louisiana, Tennessee, Idaho and Indiana fear they will also lose their homes in the next two months
| State | % behind on rent | % of people who are behind on rent facing eviction |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 25% | 61% |
| Arkansas | 24% | 78% |
| New York | 23% | 38% |
| South Carolina | 21% | 58% |
| Georgia | 21% | 62% |
| North Dakota | 19% | 85% |
| Alabama | 19% | 70% |
| Maine | 18% | 19% |
| New Jersey | 18% | 33% |
| Illinois | 18% | 44% |
| Florida | 17% | 61% |
| Missouri | 17% | 57% |
| Wyoming | 16% | 27% |
| New Mexico | 16% | 81% |
| North Carolina | 15% | 38% |
| Oklahoma | 15% | 67% |
| Mississippi | 15% | 35% |
| Louisiana | 14% | 75% |
| Nevada | 14% | 56% |
| New Hampshire | 14% | 12% |
| Michigan | 14% | 57% |
| Tennessee | 13% | 76% |
| California | 13% | 46% |
| Texas | 12% | 64% |
| Connecticut | 12% | 42% |
| Iowa | 12% | 65% |
| West Virginia | 12% | N/A |
| Alaska | 11% | 62% |
| Maryland | 11% | 39% |
| Montana | 11% | N/A |
| Oregon | 11% | 39% |
| Ohio | 10% | 19% |
| Minnesota | 10% | 23% |
| Wisconsin | 10% | 38% |
| Massachusetts | 9% | 20% |
| Nebraska | 9% | 53% |
| Rhode Island | 9% | 52% |
| Kansas | 8% | 49% |
| Pennsylvania | 8% | 49% |
| Hawaii | 8% | 45% |
| Delaware | 8% | N/A |
| Washington | 8% | 65% |
| Virginia | 8% | 61% |
| South Dakota | 7% | 71% |
| Arizona | 7% | 61% |
| Colorado | 7% | 43% |
| Idaho | 6% | 94% |
| Indiana | 5% | 78% |
| Utah | 4% | 41% |
| Vermont | 3% | N/A |
| U.S. average | 14% | 51% |
Our analysis also found that people of color are having a harder time paying their mortgages and rent. Black and Hispanic communities are significantly more likely to be facing eviction and foreclosure or be behind on their mortgage. We also found that while the financial position of black and Hispanic communities has stayed largely the same throughout the pandemic, white communities have seen their risk of eviction or foreclosure decline.
As troublesome as the data presented in this study is, America’s struggle with affordable housing is a problem that may soon get worse. An increase in unemployment benefits, stimulus checks and a moratorium on evictions kept many people in their homes during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but those programs appear to be winding down. President Joe Biden has proposed a $640 billion plan to address a shortage in affordable housing, but the question is, will that be enough?
Methodology
Foreclosure, rent and mortgage payment information was compiled using data from the United States Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Surveys. Our analysts then broke that data down along state and demographic lines to determine the number of people facing foreclosure or eviction.
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