NAR Library & Archives has already done the research for you. References (formerly Field Guides) offer links to articles, eBooks, websites, statistics, and more to provide a comprehensive overview of perspectives. EBSCO articles (E) are available only to NAR members and require the member's nar.realtor login.
Cell Phone Towers & Property Values
Cell Towers Drop Property Values (Environmental Health Sciences)
“Realtors and peer-reviewed studies report that cell towers can reduce home property values by up to 20 percent. Buyers avoid properties near towers, citing aesthetics and health concerns. Expert appraisers, municipal filings, and international research document lasting devaluation and loss of marketability from large cell tower structures placed close to residential neighborhoods.”
This page compiles documentation of how cell towers can drop property value. Everything is hyperlinked to source. Environmental Health Sciences has a factsheet you can download at this linkpdf.
Impact of Proximity to Cell Phone Tower Base Stations on Residential Property Prices in the City of Johannesburg, South Africa (International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, Nov. 6, 2024)
“The results show a significant impact that proximity of CPTBS has on residential property sale prices. However, the impact of CTPBSs’ proximity on residential property prices depends on their distance from the residential properties. The closer a residential property is to the CTPBS, the greater the impact that the CTPBS will have on the selling price of the residential property.”
The Disamenity Value of Cellular Phone Towers on Home Prices in Savannah, Georgiapdf (The Empirical Economics Letters, Aug. 2019)
“We find that homes close to towers sell for a discount of up to 7.6% and that any noticeable effect disappears at 1500 feet.”
Wireless Towers and Home Values: An Alternative Valuation Approach Using a Spatial Econometric Analysis (Journal of Real Estate Finance & Economics, May 1, 2018) E
“On average, the potential external cost of a wireless tower is approximately $4132 per residential property, which corresponds to a negative price effect of 2.65%. The negative price impact of 9.78% is much more severe for properties within visible range of a tower compared to those not within visible range of a tower. This negative impact vanishes as radii distances exceed 0.72 km.”
The Impact of Cell Phone Towers on House Prices in Residential Neighborhoodspdf (The Appraisal Journal, Summer 2005)
If purchasing or renting a property near a CPBS [cellular phone base stations], over a third (38%) of the control group respondents said a CPBS would reduce the price of their property by more than 20%.
Cell Phone Towers: Risks & Health Concerns
Cell Phone Tower Radiation Exposure Limits Worldwide (Environmental Health Sciences)
“Cell towers, including 4G and 5G cellular antennas, emit radio frequency (RF) radiation, a type of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation. Many scientists recommend caution because studies have reported a range of harmful health impacts after prolonged exposure. See the selected countries’ regulations regarding public exposure limits for 1800 MHz W/m2 equivalent plane wave density RF radiation, applicable to schools and/or homes. Many countries have limits that apply to places of “sensitive use” such as apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, permanent workplaces, and children’s playgrounds. The U.S. has no specific safeguards for children.”
Electromagnetic Fields (World Health Organization)
“Mobile phones are now an integral part of modern telecommunications. Given the large number of mobile users, it is important to investigate, understand and monitor any potential public health impact that can be attributed to their use. Tissue heating is the principal mechanism of interaction between radiofrequency energy and the human body. At the frequencies used by mobile phones, most of the energy is absorbed by the skin and other superficial tissues, resulting in negligible temperature rise in the brain and/or other organs of the body. To date, research does not suggest any consistent evidence of adverse health effects from exposure to radiofrequency fields at levels below those that cause tissue heating.”
What You Should Know About Health Impact of Cell Towers (Government Technology, March 13, 2023)
What does the research say about the health impacts of RF waves from cell towers?
Exposure to high levels of RF waves can be harmful because of the ability of the waves to heat up body tissues, but the levels of energy used by cell phones and towers are much lower and are not known to cause significant heating. Other health effects from low-level exposure have not been proven, but it's generally agreed that more research needs to be done in this area.
Real Estate Q&A: Is There an Obligation to Tell Buyers About Nearby Cell Phone Tower? (RISMedia, April 26, 2021)
“While most states do not require disclosure of neighborhood nuisances, such as cell towers or noisy neighbors, a few states do, and more are likely to in the future.”
Cell Phone Towers (American Cancer Society, June 1, 2020)
“At this time, there’s no strong evidence that exposure to RF waves from cell phone towers causes any noticeable health effects. However, this does not mean that the RF waves from cell phone towers have been proven to be absolutely safe. Most expert organizations agree that more research is needed to help clarify this, especially for any possible long-term effects.”
Cell Phone Tower Aesthetics
The Masquerading Cell Towers of the American West (California Sun, April 27, 2021)
“Unlike power and landline companies, cell phone providers cannot resort to eminent domain. Camouflage became a tool to persuade reluctant land owners to allow the use of their property. Over time, the disguises have become more elaborate, with church crosses, water towers, and flagpoles now a part of the cell tower repertoire.”
Inside the Complicated Business of Disguising 5G Equipment (CNN, March 2, 2021)
“Swapping out older street lights for 5G-capable ones to support that growth may sound like relatively minor process, but doing so will serve as a big step for many communities to become smart cities.”
The History of Fake-Tree Cellphone Towers (Slate, Oct. 12, 2020)
“In the end, some semicamouflaged towers can ironically wind up standing out more than bare-bones, functionalist steel ones would, falling into a kind of botanical “uncanny valley” between natural trees and utility poles. Camouflaging towers as trees is clever, but there is arguably something simple, honest, and clear-cut about more functionalist tower designs. Things don’t have to look natural to be beautiful. But setting aesthetic judgments of functionalist industrial chic and ungainly faux greenery aside, it can be fun to keep an eye out for the fakes.”
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following eBooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
Real Estate Appraisal (eBook)
The Art of Real Estate Appraisal (eBook)
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
As a member benefit, the following resources and more are available for loan through the NAR Library. Items will be mailed directly to you or made available for pickup at the REALTOR® Building in Chicago.
Cell Towers: Wireless Convenience? Or Environmental Hazard? (Markham, ON: Safe Goods/New Century Publishing, 2001) HE 9713 B45
Have an idea for a real estate topic? Send us your suggestions.
The inclusion of links on this page does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked in this page complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.
