Foreclosure Monitor archive - 2012
30 zip codes had an increase in distress from April 1 2011 to April 1 2012: the small Worcester County zip code of 01436 in Templeton (106.2 percent) and the Hampden County zip code of 01521 in Holland (30 percent). The largest decline was in Warren's 01585 (-44.6 percent).
Templeton's 01436 was the most distressed zip code in Massachusetts the last two quarters but ranked third as of April 1 2012. Springfield's 01109 took the top spot this quarter up from fourth one year ago. Brockton's 02302 was the most distressed zip code a year ago and is currently ranked second.
The distribution of zip codes in distress by county shifted somewhat from Worcester County to Hampden County over the last year. Worcester County has eight zip codes in the top 30 this quarter compared to 11 the year before. Seven of the zip codes are in Hampden County (six of which are in Springfield) compared to five a year ago. Plymouth County also has four zip codes in the top 30 as of April 1 2012 the same number as April 1 2011.
Census Tract: Top 30 most distressed in just eight cities
While the number of housing units in a zip code can range from dozens to more than 20 0 the number of units in a census tract generally ranges from 1 000 to 3 0 providing a smaller area of analysis that shows us where the high levels of distress are in urban neighborhoods.
In the last Foreclosure Monitor we reported that all of the top 20 census tracts were located in just six cities. With the expansion of our report to include 30 cities two additional communities are represented (Attleboro and Fitchburg).
For the third quarter in a row Worcester's tract 7324 has the highest rate of distressed units though the rate of distress declined 4.5 percent since April 1 2011. Only one other Worcester tract (7319) also placed in the top 30. Mirroring their positions as two of the most distressed municipalities in the state nine of the most distressed tracts are in Brockton and seven are in Springfield. Four of the most distressed census tracts are located in the Boston neighborhoods of Dorchester Mattapan and Roxbury.
The biggest increase in distresswas New Bedford's tract 6511 where distress increased 47.7 percent since a year ago bringing this tract from 141st to 9th. The biggest decline in distress was in Springfield's 8018 (-31.9 percent).