Find high voltage transmission lines and other environmental intelligence+™ near your locations with AreaHub
The U.S. electrical energy grid is the most extensive interconnected energy distribution system on Earth. More than five million miles of local distribution lines and 450,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines (HVTL) connect electricity-generating power operations to businesses, residences, and municipalities nationwide. You may be closer to lines than you know, since they are often hidden from roadways and structures by dense trees and shrubs. You can find out if your property is close to an HTVL by checking AreaHub here.
There are two main issues associated with high-voltage lines: potential health risk from Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF), and a negative impact on property values.
Distance from the HVTL is a key factor when assessing whether your property might be impacted. EMF’s typically fade out at more than 200 meters, or about 650 feet. However, the perception of a potential problem may affect property values for a greater distance.
With an increase in exposure to all sources of EMFs, including cell phones, routers, computers, and other household items, there may be a cumulative effect that we do not yet understand.
Living near an HVTL should be considered when buying and selling a home, just as you would take into account being near a major roadway or industry. A perception of a problem, whether fact-based or not, can impact property value.
In past decades, several studies suggested a possible link between living near high-voltage lines and disease, particularly leukemia in children and some cancers in adults. Additionally, there have been reports of less serious health issues, such as migraines and fatigue, by people living near HVTLs. So far, however, more recent research has not found a direct connection between the EMFs emitted by high-voltage lines and health risk in children or adults. A study of more than 50,000 adults with several common types of cancer found no increase in risk for people living near high-voltage transmission lines. Another 2019 study of nearly 800,000 children in Canada found that levels of leukemia in children living within 200 meters of a power line were not higher than usual.
A six-year project by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institutes of Health also found no conclusive health risk caused by living near high-voltage power lines. However, there is still enough concern that scientists continue to study the issue because it has not been proven that low-level EMFs are entirely risk-free. With the increase in exposure to all sources of EMFs, including cell phones, routers, computers, and other household items, there may be a cumulative effect that we do not yet understand.
From a property owner’s perspective, the intensity of any exposure dissipates as you get farther away from the source and is usually absent by 300 meters. On the ground, the strength of the electromagnetic field is highest directly under the power line, where it is typically in the range of what you could be exposed to when using some household appliances, according to the American Cancer Society.
The poles with high-voltage transmission lines are tall, towering from 50 to 180 feet above the ground. They are usually located on roadsides, or if cutting across open land, on a wide pathway cleared of vegetation. Real estate studies nationwide show a mixed impact on property value. One extensive study in a journal published by The Appraiser Institute, the nation’s largest real estate appraiser association, found that a property’s value is not affected when the home is close to transmission lines, or even when those power lines are visible from the house. But, again, study results are not uniform:
Other studies demonstrate that a home’s value is, on average, 10-12% less, depending on the location, the size of the power line, and the home type.
Expensive homes seem to take more of a value hit than lower-cost homes.
Your home's proximity to a power transfer station or transmission line easement will likely have a more significant impact than the line itself.
If your property is in an area where a new power line is going through, there is a greater likelihood of a significant drop.
After discovering whether your location is near HVLs with an AreaHub Pro Report, if you are concerned about your exposure to electromagnetic sources around you, including power lines, you can measure the field strength with a device called a gaussmeter. Additionally, several companies sell products for residents and businesses designed to block EMFs.
AreaHub’s Knowledge Center is updated regularly and provides information drawn from scientific studies, government agencies, and industry sources.