Foreclosure rates in Bellingham increased last December over the same period the previous year, according to new data from CoreLogic.

The rate of Bellingham area foreclosures among outstanding mortgage loans was 1.58 percent for the month of December 2012, an increase of 0.52 percentage points compared to December of 2011 when the rate was 1.06 percent.

Foreclosure activity in Bellingham was lower than the national foreclosure rate, which was 2.96 percent for December 2012. Statewide, the foreclosure rate last December was 2.49 percent, according to CoreLogic.

Also in Bellingham, the mortgage delinquency rate decreased. According to CoreLogic data for December 2012, 4.17 percent of mortgage loans were 90 days or more delinquent compared to 4.31 percent for the same period last year, representing a decrease of 0.14 percentage points.