Foreclosures in Western North Carolina

From 2002 to 2012, home and business foreclosures in the counties of the Mountain Resources Commission (MRC) region increased by 61.7 percent, about eight percent higher than the statewide increase of 53.8 percent. Among these counties, many experienced even higher rates of foreclosure – such as Swain and Jackson Counties, which saw increases of 390.9 and 373.9 percent, respectively. Cleveland County (1.4 percent) and Surry County (8.3 percent) had the lowest rates of foreclosure increase in the region, but have endured a more constant rate throughout this time period. For most of the region, the rate of foreclosures peaked in 2009 and 2010, consistent with the trends throughout the rest of the state. Since those years, most of Western North Carolina has seen the foreclosure rate decline. Note: Remember to consider population and the total number of housing units when comparing rates of foreclosure increases among counties.