Foreclosures in the state of Pennsylvania were far worse than the U.S. in February.

Figures released by RealtyTrac Inc., an Irvine, Calif.-based foreclosure listing service, show that foreclosure filings in Pennsylvania were up 74 percent from February 2008 to February 2009. Over that same year over year period, the national increase was only 30 percent.

Filings in Pennsylvania increased nearly 14 percent on a month to month basis from January 2008 to February2008. That was more than two times the national increase.

Even with the huge increase in February, foreclosure rates in Pennsylvania still remain about 30% of the national rate. Pennsylvania saw about one in every 1,300 households fall behind on their mortgage payments in the month of February.

Almost 4,200 properties received a foreclosure notice in the month of February, compared to a little more than 2,400 in February 2008. Banks seized more than 1,100 Pennsylvania residential properties in February.