Posted on 10 February 2026 by Sue Bin Park

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Can nearby solar farms reduce property values?

Property values can decline from close proximity with utility-scale solar farms, but the losses are modest and less than from nearby fossil fuel plants.

One 2023 study of 1.8 million homes found minor impacts on property values. Homes within 0.5 miles of solar farms experienced around 1.5% price reductions; homes more than one mile away received no significant effects.

Another study of 400,000 transactions found an average value decrease of 1.7% within one mile of a solar farm. Most recently, 2025 research indicated a slightly higher decrease of 4.8% for residential property within three miles of utility-scale solar projects.

Declines largely occur in suburban areas with greater population density and thus competition for space; rural communities experience little comparable impact.

In comparison, a study of 92 plants found property value decreases of up to 7% within two miles of a fossil fuel plant.

Go to full rebuttal on Skeptical Science or to the fact brief on Gigafact

This fact brief is responsive to quotes such as this one.

Sources

Energy Policy Journal Shedding light on large-scale solar impacts: An analysis of property values and proximity to photovoltaics across six U.S. states

MIT Review of Economics and Statistics The Effect of Power Plants on Local Housing Values and Rents

Kirkland Appraisals Grandy Solar Impact Survey

University of Rhode Island PROPERTY VALUE IMPACTS OF COMMERCIAL-SCALE SOLAR ENERGY IN MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND

The University of Texas at Austin An Exploration of Property-Value Impacts Near Utility-Scale Solar Installations

CohnReznick Property Value Impact Study Proposed Solar Farm McLean County, IL

National Academy of Sciences Economic Sciences Journal Impact of large-scale solar on property values in the United States: Diverse effects and causal mechanisms

Columbia Law School Sabin Center for Climate Change Law Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles

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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer "yes/no" answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact — a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all of our published fact briefs here.