Caroline County, MD Distress Report: Foreclosure, Tax Liens & ZIPs (2026)
Where is distress concentrating in Caroline County, Maryland? DLRadar grades every Caroline County ZIP 0-100 from foreclosure, tax-lien, mortgage and insurance records, peaking at 20/100. Here is the 2026 Caroline County breakdown.
- Caroline County's most distressed ZIP is 21649 at 20/100.
- 10 ZIP codes tracked in Caroline County, averaging 17/100 distress.
- Caroline County reads expansion — home values up 5.3% year over year.
- Vacancy runs 9.7% across Caroline County's tracked ZIPs, with a 13.6% poverty rate.
- The typical Caroline County home is worth about $289,300 against a ~$70,572 median income.
- Lending headwind in Caroline County sits at 38/100 — a forward read on distressed supply.
Compiled from the DLRadar property-distress index and refreshed monthly. Cite with credit to DLRadar (dlradar.com).
| Rank | ZIP | Composite distress |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21649 | 20/100 |
| 2 | 21657 | 20/100 |
| 3 | 21640 | 19/100 |
| 4 | 21629 | 16/100 |
| 5 | 21632 | 16/100 |
| 6 | 21636 | 16/100 |
| 7 | 21639 | 16/100 |
| 8 | 21641 | 16/100 |
| 9 | 21655 | 16/100 |
| 10 | 21660 | 16/100 |
Most distressed ZIP codes in Caroline County (composite distress 0-100, 2026)
What is driving Caroline County distress
Caroline County's placement in the national index rests on public filings — a 17/100 average across its ZIPs. DLRadar reads FHFA price trajectory, CFPB mortgage delinquency, recorder-level foreclosure and tax-lien activity, FEMA/NFIP loss history and Census ACS demographics.
Caroline County market phase and pricing
Caroline County currently sits in expansion after a 5.3% gain in the past twelve months. Slower absorption is the mechanism that converts price weakness into motivated supply.
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Questions about this county
Where is distress highest inside Caroline County, MD?
ZIP 21649 leads Caroline County at 20/100, recomputed monthly from public records.
Where is Caroline County in the housing cycle?
FHFA price-index movement places Caroline County in expansion; prices are up 5.3% over twelve months.
Which datasets feed the Caroline County scores?
Every Caroline County figure traces to a public source — FHFA House Price Index for the expansion trajectory, CFPB mortgage performance, county recorder filings, FEMA/NFIP and Census ACS. The same deterministic model scores all 10 Caroline County ZIP codes that it runs on every other U.S. county, so Caroline County's numbers are directly comparable to any other market.
How much do distress scores vary between Caroline County ZIP codes?
One county number flattens a wide range. Across the Caroline County ZIPs DLRadar ranks, scores run from 20/100 in 21649 down to 16/100 in 21660, against a Caroline County average of 17/100. That 4-point gap is why acquisition targeting in Caroline County works at ZIP level rather than county level.
What do Caroline County home values and vacancy say about distressed supply?
The typical Caroline County home carries about $289,300 of value against a median household income near $70,572. Vacancy across Caroline County's tracked ZIPs runs 9.7% and the poverty rate is 13.6%. Stretched affordability and standing vacancy are what turn a missed payment into a listing, which is why DLRadar reads them alongside Caroline County's foreclosure and tax-lien filings and its 38/100 lending headwind.
Related
DLRadar scores property distress from public records by deterministic formulas — not investment, legal, or financial advice. Figures refresh monthly from the live index.