Catawba County, North Carolina Court Filings Intelligence
Live court-record analysis of property-related filings (foreclosure, probate, divorce, partition, guardianship). Data sourced direct from Catawba County court dockets. Updated 2026-08-03. See methodology.
- Filing volume accelerating (+17.3%) — last 3 complete months (693 filings) vs prior 3 complete months (591 filings). Excludes the current calendar month (in progress).
- Max gross cap rate 5.5% at HUD Fair Market Rent — $13,140/year (2BR FMR × 12) on the $236,800 median estimated market value. Section-8-eligible rent ceiling; real-market rent typically exceeds FMR; excludes operating costs (taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, management).
- 72.1% of filings are Lien — the dominant lead category in Catawba County during the observed window.
About Catawba County
Catawba County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 160,610. Its county seat is Newton, and its largest community is Hickory.
Source: Wikipedia
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2621 property-related court filings tracked across 27 months (Aug 2020 to Jul 2026).
91 typical monthly filing volume.
0% of filings involve owners whose mailing address differs from the property address (7 of 2621 filings).
$236,800 median estimated property value across the 488 filings with property-enrichment data (19% coverage).
3.5% North Carolina unemployment rate (BLS, as of 2026-05). Filings should be read against the local-economy backdrop.
Filing type breakdown
| Filing type | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 2007 | 76.6% | |
| Divorce | 407 | 15.5% | |
| Probate | 92 | 3.5% | |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 91 | 3.5% | |
| Tax Sale | 15 | 0.6% | |
| Real Estate Dispute | 9 | 0.3% |
Each row is a distinct case as recorded on the county docket.
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Monthly filing activity
| Month | Filings | vs prior | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2020 | 3 | ||
| Sep 2020 | 7 | +4 | |
| Oct 2020 | 10 | +3 | |
| Jan 2021 | 1 | -9 | |
| Dec 2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| Feb 2024 | 3 | +2 | |
| Mar 2024 | 2 | -1 | |
| Sep 2024 | 2 | 0 | |
| Nov 2024 | 1 | -1 | |
| Feb 2025 | 2 | +1 | |
| Mar 2025 | 3 | +1 | |
| Apr 2025 | 5 | +2 | |
| May 2025 | 5 | 0 | |
| Jun 2025 | 4 | -1 | |
| Jul 2025 | 69 | +65 | |
| Aug 2025 | 215 | +146 | |
| Sep 2025 | 195 | -20 | |
| Oct 2025 | 273 | +78 | |
| Nov 2025 | 165 | -108 | |
| Dec 2025 | 159 | -6 | |
| Jan 2026 | 207 | +48 | |
| Feb 2026 | 202 | -5 | |
| Mar 2026 | 193 | -9 | |
| Apr 2026 | 196 | +3 | |
| May 2026 | 227 | +31 | |
| Jun 2026 | 207 | -20 | |
| Jul 2026 | 259 | +52 |
Each row reflects new filings entering the dataset that month, after ownership verification. Most recent month may be partial.
Geographic concentration by ZIP
Top 5 ZIPs in Catawba County account for 0.5% of all tracked filings, showing where distressed real estate activity clusters.
| ZIP | City | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28658 | NEWTON | 4 | 0.2% | |
| 28601 | Hickory | 4 | 0.2% | |
| 28602 | 2 | 0.1% | ||
| 28168 | HICKORY | 1 | 0.0% | |
| 28682 | 1 | 0.0% |
Based on filings with a parseable property address (0% of Catawba County filings).
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Property value distribution
| Estimated value | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $75k | 8 | 1.6% | |
| $75k - $150k | 36 | 7.4% | |
| $150k - $250k | 215 | 44.1% | |
| $250k - $400k | 165 | 33.8% | |
| $400k+ | 64 | 13.1% |
Source: third-party property enrichment (19% coverage on Catawba County filings). Median $236,800; mean $287,342.
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Day-of-week filing pattern
| Day | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 246 | 9.4% | |
| Mon | 338 | 12.9% | |
| Tue | 486 | 18.6% | |
| Wed | 719 | 27.5% | |
| Thu | 596 | 22.8% | |
| Fri | 190 | 7.3% | |
| Sat | 41 | 1.6% |
Filings show some weekend activity, suggesting after-hours electronic filing. Computed for 2616 filings with a parseable date.
Housing stock + distress signals
Underlying housing stock and distress indicators across all 72028 Catawba County housing units, from US Census ACS 5-year data. National reference values shown for context.
| Indicator | Catawba County | US average |
|---|---|---|
| Vacancy rate (incl. seasonal + for-sale) | 9.5% | 10.5% |
| Share of owner-occupied units carrying a mortgage | 59.1% | 60.8% |
| Pre-1940 housing stock | 5.7% | 12.3% |
| Single-family detached share of housing stock | 67.7% | 61.2% |
| Residents age 65 or older | 18.4% | 17.3% |
Source: US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS 2023 5-year). National reference values are ACS 2022 5-year US totals. Why these matter: vacancy rate is the strongest single proxy for distressed inventory; mortgage-carrying share defines the risk pool exposed to rate environment; pre-1940 stock signals deferred maintenance and renovation opportunity; senior population correlates with probate pipeline depth.
Rent benchmark (HUD Fair Market Rent)
HUD sets Fair Market Rents at the metro area level — the same FMRs apply to every county within the metro. Catawba County sits within the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC. Used to set Section 8 voucher amounts; investors use it as a defensible rent-estimate floor for buy-to-rent underwriting.
| Unit size | Fair market rent / month |
|---|---|
| Efficiency / studio | $858 |
| 1-bedroom | $908 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,095 |
| 3-bedroom | $1,372 |
| 4-bedroom | $1,660 |
Source: US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents (None). 40th-percentile gross rent including utilities. Why this matters: Section-8-eligible tenants are a baseline demand floor for rental inventory at these price points; FMR is the official ceiling for voucher-eligible rents.
New construction (market momentum)
Annual building permits filed in Catawba County from the US Census Building Permits Survey. Trend signal on whether new housing demand is accelerating or contracting in this market.
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Total housing units permitted (2025) | 1,944 |
| Year-over-year change (2024 → 2025) | -3.6% |
| Single-family share of permits (2025) | 69.6% |
| Single-family units permitted | 1,353 |
| Multifamily units permitted (2+ units per building) | 591 |
Source: US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, annual cumulative data. Why this matters: permits trending up signals strong demand for new inventory; permits contracting at the same time foreclosure activity rises indicates broader market softening (deals price differently). Multifamily share shows whether the market is densifying or holding to single-family stock.
Macro context: state home prices and national delinquency
Catawba County filings should be read against the broader housing-market backdrop. North Carolina state home-price trend and the national mortgage-delinquency rate are the two macro signals most directly relevant to foreclosure exposure.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina home price index (year-over-year) | +2.4% | 2026-01-01 |
| North Carolina home price index (cumulative since 2020) | +72.0% | 2026-01-01 |
| National mortgage delinquency rate (30+ day, single-family) | 1.89% | 2026-01-01 |
Sources: Federal Housing Finance Agency state house price indices (FRED series NCSTHPI); Federal Reserve Board, Mortgage Delinquency 30+Day Rate on Single-Family Residential Mortgages (FRED series DRSFRMACBS). Updated quarterly. Free public data.
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Filing velocity by case type
How each distress category is trending — are foreclosures accelerating while divorces cool, or vice versa? This breakdown is only possible with direct court-record data.
| Case type | Total | Share | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | 1885 | 71.9% | +22.0% |
| Divorce | 407 | 15.5% | +3.0% |
| Probate | 91 | 3.5% | +71.4% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 89 | 3.4% | -26.3% |
| Contract | 82 | 3.1% | +100.0% |
| Child Support | 14 | 0.5% | -33.3% |
| Other | 13 | 0.5% | +16.7% |
| Tax Sale | 13 | 0.5% | -14.3% |
| Real Estate Dispute | 9 | 0.3% | -- |
| Eviction | 9 | 0.3% | -- |
Trend = recent 2-3 month volume vs prior 2-3 months (current partial month excluded). Positive = accelerating; negative = cooling.
Seasonal filing patterns
Court filings peak in Jul and are lowest in Mar. The 2.5x peak-to-trough ratio suggests strong seasonal patterns — investors who time their outreach around Jul can reach more distressed homeowners.
| Month | Avg filings | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 104 | 63% |
| Feb | 69 | 42% |
| Mar | 66 | 40% |
| Apr | 100.5 | 61% |
| May | 116 | 71% |
| Jun | 105.5 | 64% |
| Jul | 164 | 100% |
| Aug | 109 | 66% |
| Sep | 68 | 41% |
| Oct | 141.5 | 86% |
| Nov | 83 | 51% |
| Dec | 80 | 49% |
Average filings per calendar month across all observed years. Relative column shows each month as a percentage of the peak month (Jul), with a 2.5x peak-to-trough ratio.
ZIP code distress hotspots
Distress is geographically dispersed across 5 ZIP codes, with no single area dominating.
| ZIP | Area | Filings | Share | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28658 | Newton | 4 | 0.2% | $208,950 |
| 28601 | Hickory | 4 | 0.2% | $445,300 |
| 28602 | 2 | 0.1% | $247,200 | |
| 28168 | Hickory | 1 | 0.0% | $152,200 |
| 28682 | 1 | 0.0% | $292,700 |
Top 5 of 5 ZIP codes with filings.
Non-resident owner analysis
Most filings (100%) involve owner-occupied properties. The relatively low absentee rate suggests distress is primarily hitting homeowners, not institutional investors.
| Case type | Total filings | Non-resident % |
|---|---|---|
| Lien | 1885 | 0.0% |
| Divorce | 407 | 0.0% |
| Probate | 92 | 0.0% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 91 | 5.5% |
| Contract | 82 | 0.0% |
| Tax Sale | 15 | 13.3% |
| Child Support | 14 | 0.0% |
| Other | 13 | 0.0% |
| Real Estate Dispute | 9 | 0.0% |
| Eviction | 9 | 0.0% |
Non-resident = owner's mailing address differs from the property address. Could indicate out-of-state landlords, inherited estates, second homes, or in-transition properties.
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Distress composition and shifts
The distress mix is stable across all case types. Low diversity — distress is dominated by one or two case types, suggesting a concentrated driver.
| Case type | Recent share | Earlier share | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | 73.4% | 71.8% | +1.6pp |
| Divorce | 15.7% | 15.5% | +0.2pp |
| Contract | 3.6% | 3.0% | +0.6pp |
| Probate | 3.4% | 3.5% | -0.1pp |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 1.7% | 3.8% | -2.1pp |
| Tax Sale | 1.1% | 0.4% | +0.7pp |
| Eviction | 0.2% | 0.4% | -0.2pp |
| Real Estate Dispute | 0.2% | 0.4% | -0.2pp |
| Other | 0.2% | 0.6% | -0.4pp |
| Personal Property | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.2pp |
| Child Support | 0.2% | 0.6% | -0.4pp |
| Negligence | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1pp |
Distress diversity score: 1.35 (Shannon entropy; higher = more diverse distress sources). "Recent" = last 2 complete months; "Earlier" = all prior months.
Property Value Profile
The median assessed value of properties in court filings is $231,600. Contract filings involve the highest-value properties (median $371,400), while Pre-Foreclosure filings trend lower (median $221,800). The largest segment (48.1%) falls in the $100K - $250K range.
| Value range | Properties | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $100K | 36 | 7.0% |
| $100K - $250K | 246 | 48.1% |
| $250K - $500K | 191 | 37.4% |
| $500K - $1M | 32 | 6.3% |
| Over $1M | 6 | 1.2% |
Value breakdown by case type
| Case type | Median value | Avg value | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | $232,200 | $268,293 | 366 |
| Divorce | $239,300 | $287,020 | 61 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | $221,800 | $265,131 | 32 |
| Probate | $223,000 | $298,310 | 29 |
| Contract | $371,400 | $436,264 | 14 |
Based on county assessor records for 511 properties with court filings (19.5% of total filings). Values are tax-assessed amounts, not market listing prices.
Distress Capital Analysis
$140,569,000 in assessed property value is currently tied up in 511 court-filed properties. Lien filings represent the largest capital pool ($98,195,200 across 366 properties).
Capital at Risk by Filing Type
| Filing Type | Total Value | Properties | Avg Value | High Equity % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | $98,195,200 | 366 | $268,293 | -- |
| Divorce | $17,508,200 | 61 | $287,020 | -- |
| Probate | $8,651,000 | 29 | $298,310 | -- |
| Pre-Foreclosure | $8,484,200 | 32 | $265,131 | -- |
| Contract | $6,107,700 | 14 | $436,264 | -- |
| Child Support | $685,800 | 3 | $228,600 | -- |
| Tax Sale | $601,800 | 4 | $150,450 | -- |
Based on 511 properties with assessor valuations (19.5% of 2621 total filings). Values are county assessor estimates. Equity calculated from estimated value vs outstanding mortgage balance where available.
Market Absorption & Turnover Analysis
2,612 court filings tracked with 0 resolved (0.0% absorption rate). The court system is accumulating cases faster than they resolve, creating a growing backlog of 2,612 active cases.
| Month | New Filings | Resolved | Net | Inflow | Absorption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2020 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 0.0% | |
| Sep 2020 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 0.0% | |
| Oct 2020 | 10 | 0 | +10 | 0.0% | |
| Jan 2021 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 0.0% | |
| Dec 2022 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 0.0% | |
| Feb 2024 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 0.0% | |
| Mar 2024 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 0.0% | |
| Sep 2024 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 0.0% | |
| Nov 2024 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 0.0% | |
| Feb 2025 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 0.0% | |
| Mar 2025 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 0.0% | |
| Apr 2025 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 0.0% | |
| May 2025 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 0.0% | |
| Jun 2025 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 0.0% | |
| Jul 2025 | 68 | 0 | +68 | 0.0% | |
| Aug 2025 | 215 | 0 | +215 | 0.0% | |
| Sep 2025 | 195 | 0 | +195 | 0.0% | |
| Oct 2025 | 273 | 0 | +273 | 0.0% | |
| Nov 2025 | 165 | 0 | +165 | 0.0% | |
| Dec 2025 | 159 | 0 | +159 | 0.0% | |
| Jan 2026 | 207 | 0 | +207 | 0.0% | |
| Feb 2026 | 202 | 0 | +202 | 0.0% | |
| Mar 2026 | 191 | 0 | +191 | 0.0% | |
| Apr 2026 | 196 | 0 | +196 | 0.0% | |
| May 2026 | 227 | 0 | +227 | 0.0% | |
| Jun 2026 | 207 | 0 | +207 | 0.0% | |
| Jul 2026 | 259 | 0 | +259 | 0.0% |
Resolution by Case Type
| Case Type | Filed | Resolved | Absorption | Avg Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | 1841 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Divorce | 407 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Probate | 91 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 85 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Contract | 82 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Other | 57 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Child Support | 14 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Tax Sale | 13 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Real Estate Dispute | 9 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Eviction | 9 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
Absorption rate measures the percentage of filed cases that have reached a terminal resolution (judgment, dismissal, settlement, or sale). A low absorption rate indicates a growing backlog of active cases in the court system. Resolution timing based on 0 resolved cases out of 2612 total filings.
Case Aging & Stall Analysis
121 cases (4.6%) have been active for over a year without resolution. 243 filings in the last <30 days represent fresh opportunities.
| Age | Total | Resolved | Still active | Resolution rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <30 days | 243 | 0 | 243 | 0.0% |
| 30-90 days | 403 | 0 | 403 | 0.0% |
| 3-6 months | 633 | 0 | 633 | 0.0% |
| 6-12 months | 1,212 | 0 | 1,212 | 0.0% |
| 1-2 years | 94 | 0 | 94 | 0.0% |
| 2+ years | 27 | 0 | 27 | 0.0% |
Resolution speed by case type
| Case type | Total | Resolved | Rate | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | 1,841 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Divorce | 407 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Probate | 91 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 85 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Contract | 82 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Child Support | 14 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Tax Sale | 13 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
Case aging computed from filing date to present for unresolved cases. Resolution classified from court docket entries (judgments, settlements, dismissals, sheriff sales). Cases with a resolution event are removed from the stall count.
Quarterly Filing Volume Trends
Filing trends across 4 comparable quarters show 2,305 tracked filings in Catawba County. Most recent quarter (2026 Q2: 630) was stable vs prior (2026 Q1: 600, +5.0%).
| Quarter | Total | Lien | Divorce | Contract | Pre-Foreclosure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 478 | 353 (73.8%) | 80 (16.7%) | 22 (4.6%) | 9 (1.9%) |
| 2025 Q4 | 597 | 452 (75.7%) | 87 (14.6%) | 17 (2.8%) | 18 (3.0%) |
| 2026 Q1 | 600 | 445 (74.2%) | 92 (15.3%) | 13 (2.2%) | 19 (3.2%) |
| 2026 Q2 | 630 | 443 (70.3%) | 108 (17.1%) | 23 (3.7%) | 13 (2.1%) |
Only comparable quarters shown (collection ramp-up periods excluded). Filing dates from verified court records. Current partial quarter excluded from trend calculations.
Property Value Distribution
The median property value in distressed filings is $232,200, with the largest concentration (33.1%) in the $200K–$300K range. Contract filings have the highest median value ($342,900) while Probate filings are lowest ($215,450).
| Price range | Count | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50K | 27 | 5.4% | |
| $50K–$100K | 7 | 1.4% | |
| $100K–$150K | 30 | 6.0% | |
| $150K–$200K | 117 | 23.5% | |
| $200K–$300K | 165 | 33.1% | |
| $300K–$500K | 115 | 23.1% | |
| $500K+ | 37 | 7.4% |
Value by case type
| Case type | Median value | Average value | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | $232,900 | $269,930 | 356 |
| Divorce | $239,300 | $287,019 | 61 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | $220,050 | $271,773 | 30 |
| Probate | $215,450 | $272,782 | 28 |
| Contract | $342,900 | $436,264 | 14 |
Assessed property values from county assessor records for 498 properties (19.0% of total filings). Values reflect tax-assessed amounts, not market price.
Repeat litigation patterns in Catawba County
Of 2,429 unique property owners in court filings, 114 (4.7%) appear in multiple cases, including 20 with 3 or more filings. The most active repeat filer has 13 cases spanning 3 months. Other cases have the highest repeat rate at 21.4%.
Repeat rate by case type
| Case type | Repeat owners | Total owners | Repeat rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | 107 | 1716 | 6.2% |
| Divorce | 5 | 407 | 1.2% |
| Contract | 9 | 79 | 11.4% |
| Other | 12 | 56 | 21.4% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 3 | 54 | 5.6% |
Analysis based on 2,429 unique owner names across court filings. Repeat filers are property owners appearing in 2 or more distinct cases.
Serial distressed properties in Catawba County
Of 372 unique properties in court filings, 31 (8.3%) have multiple filings (averaging 2.2 filings per property). Average time between repeat filings: 3 months. Contract properties have the highest repeat rate at 20.0%.
Serial distress rate by case type
| Case type | Serial properties | Total properties | Serial rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | 31 | 273 | 11.4% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 2 | 22 | 9.1% |
| Contract | 2 | 10 | 20.0% |
Analysis based on 372 unique property addresses across court filings. Serial distressed properties have 2 or more distinct case filings at the same address.
Methodology and data sources
- Court filings are collected directly from Catawba County court records, which are public information.
- This dataset is the court-filing archive as collected from the county docket. The owner-of-record match and the entity-owner screen are applied to delivered leads, not to these filing counts.
- Property value figures come from third-party enrichment (19% coverage on this dataset).
- Individual case data, defendant names, and property addresses are not published. Reports show aggregated statistics only.
- The methodology page at /reports/methodology documents data sources, sample sizes, and known limitations in detail.
- This report was generated 2026-08-03 from the live database. Numbers reflect the dataset at that moment.
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Cite: Keystone Court Data, "Catawba County North Carolina Court Filings Intelligence," 2026-08-03, https://keystonecourtdata.com/reports/catawba-nc-court-filings-intelligence · Download data (CSV)