02/27/2026
More People Are Falling Behind On Their Mortgage Payments
Take A Number: A Remarkable Figure In Economic News Today
By Diccon Hyatt Published February 26, 2026 04:50 PM EST
Illustration of a house with a dollar symbol and the number 309 displayed prominently
More households are falling behind on their mortgage payments.
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Key Takeaways
The number of households falling behind one or two months on their mortgage payments grew by 30.9% between January 2025 and January 2026, according to credit scoring company VantageScore.
Rising living costs may be contributing to the uptick in delinquencies.
The trend could be a sign that households and the broader economy are becoming more vulnerable to shocks.
The number of homeowners beginning to fall behind on their payments rose by nearly a third over the last year, in a sign that the high cost of living is causing financial distress for more households.
That's according to a report from credit scoring company VantageScore Thursday, which said the number of people one to two months behind on their payments rose by 30.9% over the year in January.
Though this still accounted for only 1.14% of borrowers, it was the most since the pandemic hit and a signal that more households are being stretched thin.
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Although inflation has fallen from its recent high in 2022, price increases for many necessities have remained high, from coffee to vet visits.
What This Means For The Economy
Rising mortgage delinquencies can signal broader financial stress and potential economic slowdown.
“The broad-based rise in early-stage credit delinquencies across VantageScore credit tiers underscores persistent macroeconomic pressures, particularly for more vulnerable borrowers,” Susan Fahy, chief digital, data and technology officer at VantageScore said in a press release. “Sustained cost pressures and interest rates may leave some consumers increasingly exposed to future economic shocks.”
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