HOG OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL-EFFECTS, AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY-VALUES

A hedonic study of rural residential house sales in southeastern North Carolina was conducted to determine the effect of large-scale hog ope rations on surrounding property values. An index of hog manure product ion at different distances from the houses was developed. It was found that proximity caused a statistically significant reduction in house prices of up to 9 percent depending on the number of hogs and their di stance from the house. The effect on the price of a house from opening a new operation depended on the number of hogs already in the area.