Do solar farms lower nearby property values?
Short answer: the largest study found homes within half a mile of a large solar farm sold for about 1.5% less on average, with no measurable effect beyond a mile, and only in certain situations.
What the research found
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory analyzed more than 1.8 million home sales near over 1,500 large solar projects in six states. Homes within 0.5 mile sold for an average of 1.5% less than homes 2 to 4 miles away, and effects were not measurable more than a mile away (Berkeley Lab).
The effect was not uniform. It showed up only in certain states, for projects built on agricultural land, for larger projects, and for rural homes (Berkeley Lab). In the states where it appeared, the reductions within half a mile were about 4% in Minnesota, 5.6% in New Jersey, and 5.8% in North Carolina, with no statistically significant effect in California, Connecticut, or Massachusetts (Solar Power World).
A 2026 Ball State University review of more than 230,000 Indiana home sales within 4 miles of solar projects found no statistically significant negative effect on prices (pv magazine).
What this means if a project is proposed near you
- Distance matters most. The measured effects were limited to homes within about half a mile.
- Texas has little local zoning, so setbacks and screening are usually set by the developer and landowner, not the county. Ask the developer what buffers are planned.
- See how close it is. Check the proposed site and your home on the map, and look up the project on your county page.
Check a spot
Click your land on the map to get its free land report: flood zone, wetlands, nearest power line, soils, survey location, and the half-mile, 500-acre standout test. In Texas, parcel acreage fills in automatically.
Related questions
- Are solar panels toxic?
- Does Texas require a permit for a solar farm?
- Proposed projects by county
- All landowner questions
General information from the sources linked above, not legal, tax, or financial advice.