Medical Debt Is No. 1 Dealbreaker for U.S. Housing, Zillow Says

A "For Sale" sign stands outside a new home.

Photographer: Bloomberg/Bloomberg
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Medical debts are more likely than other kinds to get in the way of Americans trying to buy or rent a home, according to an annual survey by real-estate data firm Zillow.

The survey found that 38% of people who owe money for health care said they’d been turned down for a mortgage or home rental because of those liabilities -- a higher rate of rejection than for other kinds of debt like student loans or credit cards.