The mapping of foreclosure hell

RealtyTrac is out with a new report on the number of foreclosures in the U.S. and rather than just doll out the dry numbers that no-one will really read Business Insider translated those numbers to dots on Google Maps of cities around the U.S.

But first just a few dry facts from RealyTrac about the foreclosure hell in the U.S.

California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona cities accounted for 19 of the top 20 metro foreclosure rates, with Boise City-Nampa, Idaho the lone exception at No. 20. Boise also was one of only three metros in the top 20 where foreclosure activity increased from 2009, along with the Florida metro areas of Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach at No. 13 and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater at No. 17.

“Foreclosure floodwaters receded somewhat in 2010 in the nation’s hardest-hit housing markets,” said James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac. “Even so, foreclosure levels remained five to 10 times higher than historic norms in most of those hard-hit markets, where deep faultlines of risk remain and could potentially trigger more waves of foreclosure activity in 2011 and beyond. Meanwhile foreclosures became more widespread in 2010 as high unemployment drove activity up in 72 percent of the nation’s metro areas — many of which were relatively insulated from the initial foreclosure tsunami.

Now from Business Insider here are some maps of your favorite U.S. cities populated with foreclosure map pins.

First up Lakeland Florida:

Boise Idaho

Reno Nevada

Phoenix Arizona