The 20 states where people are having the most trouble paying for their homes

James LaForge Business 26 May, 2026 Americas

WalletHub ranked every US state based on mortgage delinquency. See which states are experiencing the biggest increases.

People walking in New Orleans, Louisiana. — Louisiana is third among states with the highest increase in delinquent mortgages.
Cavan-Images/Shutterstock

WalletHub ranked US states based on mortgage delinquency.
Its list shows which states had the biggest increases in delinquent mortgages between 2025 and 2026.
Vermont and Delaware had the highest increases, the analysis found.

In recent years, the economy hasn't been kind to homeowners and those looking to buy.

Many potential buyers simply can't afford to buy a home, with the average 30-year mortgage rate over 6%. For the people who bite the bullet on a home loan, other costs are waiting. From property taxes and insurance to repair costs, Americans — some of whom face more challenging job markets — are paying more in home expenses than a simple monthly mortgage payment.

Whatever the reasons, some homeowners are failing to pay their mortgage payments on time. When a payment is at least 30 days late, it's reported to the credit bureaus as delinquent.

A WalletHub study released this month ranked the 50 US states by where delinquent mortgages increased the most from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026.

It identified each state's share of the average number of delinquent loans in the first quarter of 2026 — that is, the state's mortgage delinquency rate — and calculated how much the number of delinquent mortgages changed from the previous quarter. The study used data collected in April from WalletHub's own database.

Some states saw decreases in delinquent mortgages from the end of 2025 to the beginning of 2026, with Wyoming the only state to record a double-digit decrease, at 14.41%. Nebraska and Mississippi followed, with decreases of 7.88% and 4.27%, respectively.

Most states weren't as lucky, however, and reported increases in delinquent mortgages.

See the 20 states with the highest mortgage delinquency increases, per WalletHub's study.

20. South Carolina

Aerial view of Charleston, South Carolina. — Charleston, South Carolina.
Grindstone Media Group/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 10.38%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 1.63%

19. Alaska

Aerial view of Anchorage, Alaska, at sunset. — Anchorage, Alaska.
Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 6.00%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 1.94%

18. Alabama

Buildings in Birmingham, Alabama. — Birmingham, Alabama.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 10.85%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.04%

17. Nevada

Illuminated buildings in Las Vegas, Nevada. — Las Vegas, Nevada.
Old Town Tourist/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 5.81%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.07%

16. Tennessee

Buildings in Nashville, Tennessee. — Nashville, Tennessee.
James Andrews1/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 9.21%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.08%

15. Oregon

Buildings in Portland, Oregon. — Portland, Oregon.
Grindstone Media Group/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 4.95%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.09%

14. Illinois

Buildings in Chicago, Illinois. — Chicago, Illinois.
Nejdet Duzen/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 6.97%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.37%

13. California

Bridge and buildings in Sacramento, California. — Sacramento, California.
NorthSky Films/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 4.81%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.53%

12. Rhode Island

Buildings in Providence, Rhode Island. — Providence, Rhode Island.
Veroniksha/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 7.34%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.55%

11. North Carolina

Trees and buildings in Charlotte, North Carolina. — Charlotte, North Carolina.
f11photo/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 8.57%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.70%

10. Idaho

Buildings in Boise, Idaho. — Boise, Idaho.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 6.12%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.83%

9. Texas

Buildings in Dallas, Texas. — Dallas, Texas.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 9.44%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 2.97%

8. Colorado

Buildings in Denver, Colorado. — Denver, Colorado.
f11photo/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 5.02%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 3.29%

7. New Hampshire

Aerial view of Concord, New Hampshire. — Concord, New Hampshire.
Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 6.25%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 3.30%

6. Connecticut

Buildings in Hartford, Connecticut. — Hartford, Connecticut.
FilmRAW/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 8.00%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 3.38%

5. Montana

Baseball field in Billings, Montana. — Billings, Montana.
JWCohen/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 5.33%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 3.71%

4. Florida

Buildings in Orlando, Florida. — Orlando Florida.
ByDroneVideos/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 7.05%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 3.87%

3. Louisiana

Buildings in New Orleans, Louisiana. — New Orleans, Louisiana.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 14.33%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 4.40%

2. Delaware

Street view of buildings in Wilmington, Delaware. — Wilmington, Delaware.
JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 8.35%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 6.92%

1. Vermont

Burlington, Vermont coast. — Burlington, Vermont.
Frame Craft 8/Shutterstock

Mortgage delinquency rate in Q1 2026: 5.81%

Increase in delinquent mortgage loans from Q4 2025 to Q1 2026: 12.32%

Read the original article on Business Insider

#Business #Americas

James LaForge

Source: Business Insider

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