Learn the Risks

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) classifies cell towers as “hazards and nuisances.” Homes in close proximity to these towers often experience a decline in value, a well-documented reality for homeowners, real estate agents, and appraisers.

Research indicates that the proximity of a cell tower can have a substantial impact on property values, potentially exceeding 20%. In the context of Meridian Parks, where homes are currently valued between $400,000 and $800,000, even a conservative estimate of a 2% decrease on a $500,000 home could lead to a $10,000 loss for each homeowner. Moreover, the community may experience a decline in real estate tax collection, amounting to $100-$150 per property annually.

If we assume this tax collection loss is perpetual and consider a conservative scenario with 50 homes, leading to recurring city debt of $5000-$7500 per year at a 5% interest rate over a 20 year bond repayment period, the potential cost of a single tower to the city (or in the case of permitting a non-ideal coverage tower placement, an additional tower) could be a staggering $800 thousand to $1.2 million over a resident’s lifetime (approximately 80 years). In a worst case scenario, where debt compounds the potential cost of a single tower to the city could be a staggering $5 million to $7 million over a resident’s lifetime.

These financial implications do not account for the broader impact on property allure and interest. The presence of a cell tower will result in reduced property viewership, diminished buyer interest, and prolonged listing durations.

To illustrate the adverse effects of cell tower placement on property values, we find it most compelling to reference excerpts from relevant sources. The examples provided below serve as representative instances that unmistakably highlight the detrimental impact on property values. Appraisers and real estate agents attest the negative impacts of cell towers near residences and decreased interest in properties.

• Paul Harris. Phone masts blight house sales. The Guardian. May 2003.
  • With such restricted employment, the value of their bungalow in the Shropshire countryside was a vital part of their retirement plans. But now that value has been almost halved by the phone mast outside their home. ‘We tried to sell and everyone who came around would see what a lovely home we had and then see the mast so close to us and just leave,’ Mrs Watts said. Their estate agent told them the mast would prevent them from selling their house at anything like the £189,000 it had been valued at. ‘She said that if we wanted a quick sale, we would have to take our asking price down by £70,000-£80,000. That was just heartbreaking,’ Mrs Watts said.
• Sandy Bond. Ko-Kang Wang. The Impact of Cell Phone Towers on House Prices in Residential Neighborhoods. The Appraisal Journal. 2005.
  • “The results of the sales analy-sis show prices of properties were reduced by around 21% after a CPBS was built in the neighborhood.”
  • “Even buyers who believe that there are no adverse health effects from CPBSs, knowing that other potential buy-ers might think the reverse, will probably seek a price discount for a property located near a CPBS.”
• EMF Real Estate Survey Results: “Neighborhood Cell Towers & Antennas—Do They Impact a Property’s Desirability?” National Institute for Science, Law and Public Policy’s survey. 2014.
  • “overwhelming majority of respondents (94%) reported that cell towers and antennas in a neighborhood or on a building would impact interest in a property and the price they would be willing to pay for it.”
  • “90% of respondents said they were concerned about the increasing number of cell towers and antennas in their residential neighborhood, generally.’
  • “79% said under no circumstances would they ever purchase or rent a property within a few blocks of a cell tower or antenna.”
• David E. Burgoyne.” Impact of Communication Towers and Equipment on Nearby Property Values; Burgoyne Appraisal Company. March 7, 2017.
  • “As a general matter, assuming two generally comparable areas, aesthetics will have the most significant impact on property values.”
  • “As a general matter, visible utility structures do adversely affect property values.”
  • “The impact will generally be related to the size of the facility, the characteristics of the facility, its location (including proximity), and visibility. That is to say, I would expect a tower or other structure that is larger than existing structures to have a greater impact on property values than a structure that is similarly sized and in keeping with other structures.”
  • “In 32 years of experience as a Real Estate Appraiser specializing in detrimental conditions, takings, adverse impacts and right-of-way, I have found that aesthetics (or rather the adverse impact on aesthetics) of externalities routinely has the largest impact on property values. As a result, proximity to towers of all types (cell, wind turbine, and electric transmission) has an impact on property values.”
• Ermanno Affuso, J. Ried Cummings, Huubinh Le. Wireless Towers and Home Values: An Alternative Valuation Approach Using a Spatial Econometric Analysis. The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics. May 2018 Issue. Published 18 February 2017. Pages 653–676.
  • “For properties located within 0.72 kilometers of the closest tower, results reveal significant social welfare costs with values declining 2.46% on average, and up to 9.78% for homes within tower visibility range compared to homes outside tower visibility range.”
• Jason Beck. The Disamenity Value of Cellular Phone Towers on Home Prices in Savannah, Georgia. The Empirical Economics Letters. 2019.
  • “Results suggest proximity to cell phone towers can reduce selling price up to 7.6%.”
• Lyle Laver. Your new neighbor, a cell tower, may impact the value of your home. The National Business Post. March 29, 2022.
  • “Cellphone towers bring extra tax revenue and better reception to a section of the city, but many are skeptical because of the potential health risks and the impact on property values. Increasing numbers of people don’t want to live near cell towers. In some areas with new towers, property values have decreased by up to 20%.”
  • “In 2021, Moira Hahn and Mark Hotchkiss, who have lived at their Long Beach, Calif., address for the last 21 years, received notice from an AT&T subcontractor that a wireless facility would be installed 25 feet from their home. They said they were more concerned about the emissions than the tower’s size and appearance. But five local licensed realtors told them the tower would lower their property’s value by between 20% and 35% or more.”