Nearly 5,400 Iowa properties had foreclosure filings in 2008. That marks a 31 percent increase from 2007 and a staggering 136 percent increase from 2006.

In the month of December 2008 alone, Iowa had 887 properties with foreclosure filings, up 70 percent from the previous month and a 58 percent increase from December 2007.

“Foreclosure activity increase only moderately in Iowa during 2008,” said James J. Saccacio, chief executive of RealtyTrac, publisher of the largest national database of foreclosure and bank-owned properties. “Although up 1 percent from January, the state’s unemployment rate finished 2008 well below the national average. Additionally, home sales declined only moderately compared to 2007. Taken altogether, these factors support the notion that foreclosure activity grew only slightly statewide last year.

Nationally, Iowa ranked 37th in total foreclosures for the year. With one in every 245 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing, Iowa’s foreclosure rate ranked 40th among the 50 states.

Five Iowa counties were responsible for 67 percent of all foreclosure activity in the state during 2008: Polk County (Des Moines) led the way, reporting 1,735 properties. Linn County (Cedar Rapids) was second with 627 properties. Scott County (Davenport) was third with 519 properties. Pottawattamie County (Council Bluffs) and Woodbury County (Sioux City) finished off the top five with 425 and 297 properties respectfully.

Looking at foreclosure rates, Pottawatamie County’s was the highest in Iowa, with just over 1 percent of its housing units receiving at least one foreclosure filing during 2008. Polk County was second with .96 percent, and Jasper County was third with .79 percent.

Overall, Iowa accounted for less than 1 percent of the 2,330,483 properties nationwide that had foreclosure filings. The national total represented an increase of more than 81 percent from the total reported for 2007.

Iowa Foreclosure Market Data by County – Year end 2008

Rate Rank

County

Total Properties With Foreclosure Filings

% Housing Units

(Foreclosure Rate)

% Change From 2007

n/a

United States

2,330,483

1.84

81.24

n/a

Iowa

5,385

0.41

31.25

30

Adair

8

0.21

60.00

80

Adams

1

0.05

0.00

95

Allamakee

1

0.01

-80.00

50

Appanoose

9

0.13

-25.00

89

Audubon

1

0.03

n/a

43

Benton

18

0.16

-5.26

71

Black Hawk

37

0.07

-26.00

13

Boone

39

0.34

8.33

85

Bremer

4

0.04

-33.33

91

Buchanan

2

0.02

-33.33

70

Buena Vista

6

0.07

-66.67

42

Butler

11

0.17

37.50

46

Calhoun

8

0.15

100.00

68

Carroll

7

0.08

-30.00

22

Cass

16

0.24

45.45

40

Cedar

14

0.18

-12.50

18

Cerro Gordo

64

0.29

36.17

56

Cherokee

7

0.12

-41.67

62

Chickasaw

6

0.10

0.00

29

Clarke

9

0.22

50.00

48

Clay

11

0.14

0.00

92

Clayton

2

0.02

0.00

9

Clinton

103

0.46

281.48

58

Crawford

8

0.11

-27.27

5

Dallas

158

0.72

146.88

77

Davis

2

0.05

-50.00

52

Decatur

5

0.13

n/a

38

Delaware

14

0.18

0.00

83

Des Moines

8

0.04

-68.00

32

Dickinson

26

0.20

225.00

26

Dubuque

87

0.23

20.83

54

Emmet

6

0.12

0.00

47

Fayette

14

0.14

-12.50

55

Floyd

9

0.12

12.50

74

Franklin

3

0.06

200.00

21

Fremont

9

0.25

-18.18

23

Greene

11

0.24

-15.38

44

Grundy

9

0.16

-25.00

31

Guthrie

12

0.21

-7.69

14

Hamilton

23

0.32

9.52

36

Hancock

10

0.19

-33.33

33

Hardin

17

0.20

-10.53

11

Harrison

28

0.41

55.56

39

Henry

15

0.18

150.00

72

Howard

3

0.07

200.00

53

Humboldt

6

0.13

200.00

96

Ida

0

0.00

n/a

82

Iowa

3

0.04

50.00

35

Jackson

18

0.19

20.00

3

Jasper

128

0.79

68.42

86

Jefferson

3

0.04

-50.00

34

Johnson

108

0.20

103.77

25

Jones

19

0.23

58.33

45

Keokuk

8

0.16

166.67

79

Kossuth

4

0.05

100.00

37

Lee

30

0.18

-3.23

7

Linn

627

0.69

31.45

65

Louisa

5

0.10

-50.00

81

Lucas

2

0.05

0.00

84

Lyon

2

0.04

100.00

10

Madison

28

0.44

115.38

94

Mahaska

2

0.02

-75.00

19

Marion

38

0.28

65.22

66

Marshall

14

0.08

-46.15

63

Mills

6

0.10

500.00

96

Mitchell

0

0.00

-100.00

93

Monona

1

0.02

-66.67

90

Monroe

1

0.03

-75.00

16

Montgomery

16

0.30

700.00

15

Muscatine

53

0.30

6.00

69

Obrien

5

0.08

-37.50

73

Osceola

2

0.07

n/a

61

Page

8

0.11

14.29

41

Palo Alto

8

0.17

166.67

57

Plymouth

12

0.11

33.33

64

Pocahontas

4

0.10

n/a

2

Polk

1,735

0.96

28.61

1

Pottawattamie

425

1.09

78.57

51

Poweshiek

12

0.13

33.33

88

Ringgold

1

0.03

n/a

87

Sac

2

0.04

0.00

4

Scott

519

0.74

8.81

60

Shelby

6

0.11

50.00

96

Sioux

0

0.00

n/a

17

Story

100

0.29

194.12

67

Tama

6

0.08

50.00

75

Taylor

2

0.06

-33.33

12

Union

21

0.36

23.53

78

Van Buren

2

0.05

n/a

24

Wapello

37

0.23

-13.95

8

Warren

116

0.68

52.63

59

Washington

10

0.11

150.00

76

Wayne

2

0.06

100.00

28

Webster

38

0.22

-35.59

49

Winnebago

7

0.14

16.67

96

Winneshiek

0

0.00

n/a

6

Woodbury

297

0.71

27.47

27

Worth

8

0.22

166.67

20

Wright

17

0.26

0.00