Home › Reports › North Carolina › Top Foreclosure Counties

Market Ranking · 2026-10-06

Top Foreclosure Counties in North Carolina (2026)

12,142 verified pre-foreclosure filings across 98 counties in North Carolina, ranked by filing volume. Sourced directly from public court dockets.

Pre-foreclosure and foreclosure filings — the earliest public signal that a property owner has defaulted on their mortgage. Filed by lenders when the borrower misses payments, these cases create motivated-seller opportunities months before any MLS listing.

Key stats

County rankings by foreclosure volume

# County Filings Med. Value Absentee Med. Days
1Wake County2,500+$378,6712.4%—
2Mecklenburg County1,000+$341,200——
3Forsyth County500+$233,000——
4Guilford County500+$300,350——
5Cumberland County250+$217,700——
6Alamance County250+$262,345——
7Durham County250+$382,077——
8Gaston County100+$269,500——
9Johnston County100+$281,280——
10Wilson County100+$165,166——
11Cabarrus County100+$361,835——
12Onslow County100+$243,893——
13Cleveland County100+$195,874——
14Columbus County100+$91,250——
15Iredell County100+$277,440——
16Catawba County100+$218,300——
17Union County100+$378,700——
18Burke County100+$139,933——
19Rockingham County50+$167,769——
20Robeson County50+$122,050——
21Randolph County50+$197,385——
22New Hanover County50+$445,600——
23Buncombe County50+$347,750——
24Davidson County50+$212,670——
25Nash County50+$249,290——
26Pitt County50+$230,551——
27Harnett County50+$260,677——
28Craven County50+$157,445——
29Granville County50+$257,280——
30Bladen County50+$138,390——

Related reports

Other North Carolina rankings: Probate & Estate · Divorce & Equity Division · Partition · Guardianship · Tax Sale

Full state analysis: North Carolina Court Filings Intelligence

Legal process: How Foreclosure Works in North Carolina — step-by-step timeline & investor details

Sourcing guide: How to Find Pre-Foreclosure Leads in North Carolina

Compare lead types: Foreclosure vs Probate · Foreclosure vs Divorce · All reports

Frequently asked questions

How many pre-foreclosure filings are tracked in North Carolina?+

Keystone Court Data tracks 12,142 verified pre-foreclosure filings across 98 North Carolina counties. Data is sourced directly from public court dockets and updated as new filings appear.

Which North Carolina county has the most pre-foreclosure filings?+

Wake County leads with 2,500+ pre-foreclosure filings. The median property value in these filings is $378,671. All data comes from public court records.

What is the typical property value in North Carolina pre-foreclosure filings?+

Across 57 counties with an estimated property value, the average median estimated property value in North Carolina pre-foreclosure filings is $228,854. Values vary by county — from $56,370 to $445,600.

What percentage of pre-foreclosure filings in North Carolina involve absentee owners?+

On average, 2.4% of pre-foreclosure filings in North Carolina involve properties where the owner's mailing address differs from the property address. Absentee owners may face additional pressure to sell when a court filing is filed against the property.

Subscribe to any North Carolina county

Get every new pre-foreclosure case the day it hits the North Carolina court docket. Court-direct, same-day, every filing. 7-day free trial.

Browse North Carolina counties

Cite: Keystone Court Data, "Top Foreclosure Counties in North Carolina (2026)," 2026-10-06, https://keystonecourtdata.com/reports/top-foreclosure-counties-nc