Posted on 23 October 2026 by Sue Bin Park

Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline.

Do nearby wind turbines decrease home values by an average of 75%?

Research has found much smaller effects on nearby home prices, and those effects fade with time and distance from turbines.

One 2024 study analyzing data from 1997 to 2020 found that visible turbines were associated with an average sale price decrease of about 1.1%, largely affecting urban areas. The effect disappeared within 10 years of installation and was not statistically significant for installations after 2017, indicating that the 1.1% average likely overstates future wind project impacts.

Another 2023 study examining half a million transactions across 34 states found that announcing a project within one mile could initially reduce nearby home values by up to 11% compared with homes 3-5 miles away. However, values recovered to within 2% of pre-announcement levels in 5 years of operation.

These effects have declined in recent years, which researchers suggest may reflect greater familiarity with turbines; responsible siting and community involvement can further reduce impacts.

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

U.S. Department of Energy Do Wind Turbines Lower Property Values?

PNAS The visual effect of wind turbines on property values is small and diminishing in space and time

Energy Policy Commercial wind turbines and residential home values: New evidence from the universe of land-based wind projects in the United States

American Clean Power Land-based Wind Turbines do not Affect Property Values

Center for Rural Affairs Wind energy and property values

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.