The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center commissioned the Relationship between Wind Turbines and Residential Property Values in Massachusetts to study whether home values were affected by proximity to wind turbines. An analysis of more than 122,000 Massachusetts home sales between 1998 and 2012 found no statistically-significant evidence that proximity to a wind turbine affects home values.
Methodology and Key Findings:
- Study analyzed more than 122,000 Massachusetts homes sales between 1998 and 2012.
- Home sales analyzed were within five miles of current or future locations of 41 wind turbines across the Commonwealth.
- The study found that homes close to turbines sold as frequently as homes farther away.
- The study also compared (see chart below) the relationship between wind turbines and residential home values to those of factors previously shown to affect home prices, including high-voltage transmission lines, landfills, highways, protected open space and proximity to beachfront.
Note: Statistically insignificant effects fall within the margin of error.
On Jan. 22, 2014, MassCEC hosted a webinar with the study's authors, who have answered questions about the study's methodology and conclusions.