More than 30 million homes in the US are mortgage-free, with Florida -- which has the highest proportion of retirees -- the state with the biggest percentage of free and clear residences, suggesting it’s better shielded from a decline in real estate prices.
Of the 15 US counties with more than 500,000 homes, Palm Beach in Florida had the greatest concentration of residences that were paid up, at 41.5% of 567,283 homes, data compiled by real estate analytics firm Attom showed. Neighboring Broward County -- which includes Fort Lauderdale and parts of Miami -- is the next highest at 36% of its 624,886 homes.
