California does not lead national ranking of “zombie houses”“, but it does appear among the states where the phenomenon grew again. An ATTOM analysis of foreclosures and vacant homes showed that the state recorded 313 zombie properties in the first quarter of 2026, a quarterly increase of 15.1% among states with at least 50 cases.
The so-called “zombie houses” are homes that are in the process of foreclosure and were abandoned by their owners before the legal process was completed.. In those cases, the property is left empty, can deteriorate and become a problem for the neighborhood.
In California, the zombie foreclosures They represented 2.1% of residential properties in the process of foreclosures during the first quarter. The rate is below the national average of 3.27%, but the quarterly increase places the state among the markets where the phenomenon deserves attention.
California Counties Designated by ATTOM
In ATTOM’s state rankings, California appears 42nd for zombie foreclosure rate. Featured counties within the state are:
- riverside
- Los Angeles
- San Luis Obispo
- San Diego
The data It does not mean that those counties have an abandoned housing crisis. It means that, within California, they are among the areas with the greatest relative weight in this type of vacant properties linked to foreclosure processes.
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Los Angeles: one of the lowest rates among large metropolitan areas
An important fact to qualify the panorama: The Los Angeles metropolitan area appears among the large areas with the lowest rate of zombie houses within the universe of properties in foreclosures. ATTOM ranked Los Angeles with a rate of 2.2%, below cities such as Cleveland, Baltimore, St. Louis, Akron and Indianapolis, which showed the highest rates among the metropolitan areas analyzed.
This allows us to look at the data more precisely: California recorded a quarterly increase, but Los Angeles does not appear as one of the national epicenters of the problem.
Why zombie houses matter
The impact of these homes is often felt at the neighborhood level. An abandoned house can be left unmaintained, accumulate weeds, attract vandalism, or reduce the perception of safety on the block.. It can also affect the value of nearby properties if deterioration is prolonged.
ATTOM speaks of the zombie foreclosure rate as the percentage of properties in foreclosure that are vacant because the homeowner vacated the home before the foreclosures were complete.
A phenomenon that remains small
At the national level, the ATTOM report showed that 230,401 residential properties were in the process of foreclosures in the first quarter of 2026. Of them, 7,540 were considered zombie properties, equivalent to 3.27% of the homes in foreclosure.
The firm also noted that same-old residential vacancy remains low: 1.33% of the country’s residential properties were empty at the beginning of the year, practically the same as the previous quarter and the first quarter of 2025.
What owners and buyers should look at
For buyers, A zombie house can represent an opportunity, but also a risk: They usually require repairs, legal review and clarity about debts, liens or the status of the mortgage process.
For neighbors and owners, the warning sign is not only that there is an abandoned home, but that it remains without maintenance for a long time. In those cases, it is a good idea to review county public records, report safety or health problems to the city and verify if the property is in the process of foreclosures.
In short, the growth of zombie houses in California does not point to a widespread real estate crisis, but it does show pressure that can be felt in a localized way. The key is in the neighborhood: A state figure may seem small, but an abandoned property on a particular block can change the safety, value and quality of life for those who live nearby.
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