Does proximity to a cemetery affect home value?

Phoenix, Arizona
General Real Estate Investing
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Does proximity to a cemetery affect home value?

Ying Tang
Member since 2025 · 316 posts · 119 votes

I’m considering a rental property that has a large cemetery down the street. The property currently has stable, reliable tenants, which is a positive. However, I’m curious whether the proximity to a cemetery could affect the home’s value. In many parts of Asia, this is considered a major negative and can reduce property value by as much as 50%. Culturally, though, it doesn’t seem to carry the same weight in the U.S.—is that correct?

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Eric Gerakos
Investor · Costa Mesa, CA · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1y

The dead are usually quiet, considerate neighbors. With a few notable exceptions…..

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  • Harrisen Hagens
    Property Manager · Boise, ID · Member since 2014 · 7 posts · 5 votes
    1y

    Unless the the house is in the cemetery, probably not much.

    The data are pretty inconsistent—some indicate slightly lower values and some indicate slightly higher. My general assumption is that there will be very few people that would just not consider a house near a cemetery but it's a non-sequiter for most.

    12% Lower: https://www.adammerrick.com/blog/2020/10/20/the-pros-and-cons-of-buying-a-property-near-a-cemetery

    6% Higher: https://www.redfin.com/blog/i-see-dead-people-do-homes-near-cemeteries-sell-well/

    3Reply
    • Ying Tang
      OP
      Member since 2025 · 316 posts · 119 votes
      1y

      @Harrisen Hagens Thanks Harrisen! It's about 2 minutes driving to the cemetery. This neighborhood appreciated about the same percentage compared to my primary house (top school, good neighborhood) in the last 10 years. 

      0Reply
    • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
      Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
      1y
      Quote from @Harrisen Hagens:

      Unless the the house is in the cemetery, probably not much.

      The data are pretty inconsistent—some indicate slightly lower values and some indicate slightly higher. My general assumption is that there will be very few people that would just not consider a house near a cemetery but it's a non-sequiter for most.

      12% Lower: https://www.adammerrick.com/blog/2020/10/20/the-pros-and-cons-of-buying-a-property-near-a-cemetery

      6% Higher: https://www.redfin.com/blog/i-see-dead-people-do-homes-near-cemeteries-sell-well/


      or if you actually have the cemetery sharing your lot line and graves literally 50 feet from house.. I have seen that in some higher end stuff in Portland and house probably suffered New build 900k and that was 20 years ago price.  I owned/lived in a condo that had the big cemetery next to me but it was separated by a large valley full of trees and wild life and you could not tell that 500 feet away was a huge cemetery  no influence on value. 

      understand the cultural aspects so if your in Cupertino maybe if your in some area were there is a very small Asian population then probably not.
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    • Ying Tang
      OP
      Member since 2025 · 316 posts · 119 votes
      1y

      @Jay Hinrichs Thanks Jay! The property itself is sharing boundary with a park, and a there is a stadium (not a big one) 2 minutes away. The distance to the cemetery is about 0.2 miles. But this cemetery is huge from satellite view. What do you think?

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    • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
      Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
      1y
      Quote from @Ying Tang:

      @Jay Hinrichs Thanks Jay! The property itself is sharing boundary with a park, and a there is a stadium (not a big one) 2 minutes away. The distance to the cemetery is about 0.2 miles. But this cemetery is huge from satellite view. What do you think?


      who knows your call..  U have good answers .. if your buyers or renters are superstitious on this matter then maybe you have your answer
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    • Ying Tang
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      Member since 2025 · 316 posts · 119 votes
      1y

      @Jay Hinrichs lol I'm the buyer. I'm a bit superstitious but I think the property is nice. Just want to make sure if I sell it down the road it's not a huge deal for average Americans 

      0Reply
    • Calvin Thomas
      Developer · New York City, NY · Member since 2015 · 812 posts · 718 votes
      1y
      Quote from @Harrisen Hagens:

      Unless the the house is in the cemetery, probably not much.

      The data are pretty inconsistent—some indicate slightly lower values and some indicate slightly higher. My general assumption is that there will be very few people that would just not consider a house near a cemetery but it's a non-sequiter for most.

      12% Lower: https://www.adammerrick.com/blog/2020/10/20/the-pros-and-cons-of-buying-a-property-near-a-cemetery

      6% Higher: https://www.redfin.com/blog/i-see-dead-people-do-homes-near-cemeteries-sell-well/


       On one hand, you have really quiet neighbors.  On the other hand, you will have a good amount of visitors and people just dying to get in.  Pluses and minuses I guess.

      1Reply
    • Joe S.Pro Member
      Investor · San Antonio · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
      1y
      Quote from @Ying Tang:

      @Jay Hinrichs lol I'm the buyer. I'm a bit superstitious but I think the property is nice. Just want to make sure if I sell it down the road it's not a huge deal for average Americans 

      So here is part of the answer. You are superstitious and you assume other people are too. Some might be…..

      0Reply
  • Noah CorwickPro Member
    Realtor · Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2021 · 271 posts · 115 votes
    1y

    You should be fine as long as you don't need to drive through or along the cemetery to get to the property or have any graves that are in eyesight. 

    [email protected]602-834-4617
    1Reply
    • Ying Tang
      OP
      Member since 2025 · 316 posts · 119 votes
      1y

      @Noah Corwick Thanks Noah! The cemetery is two minutes away but it's on the main street and it's a pretty big one. No "drive through" but the cemetery is noticeably on the main street. Do you think it will be ok?

      0Reply
  • Eric Gerakos
    Investor · Costa Mesa, CA · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1y

    The dead are usually quiet, considerate neighbors. With a few notable exceptions…..

    10Reply
  • Quinton Brown
    Lender · Seattle WA · Member since 2025 · 211 posts · 33 votes
    1y

    The cemetary I would assume has been there for awhile.. I would also consider what type of property uses are surrounding this cemetary, and the zoning they have.. Are there vacant parcels around this cemetary, and what the zoning is.. As future land uses may be more versatile due to having a non residential parcel in proximity to your rental property.

    2Reply
  • Matthew Paul
    Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    1y

    People are just dying to get there , it will help values 

    2Reply
  • Elvin Torres
    Member since 2023 · 46 posts · 9 votes
    1y

    check all other variables and see what you come up with. rental history, vacancy, transport, how is the area like other than near a cemetery? do the same research you would do if the house was not near a cemetery. if the numbers are good, can you get a discount on the purchase price?

    0Reply
    • Ying Tang
      OP
      Member since 2025 · 316 posts · 119 votes
      1y

      @Elvin Torres Thanks Elvin! It has good tenants who has been there for 7-8 years. I looked up the report and the rent demand seems to be good as well. I plan to vacate the property , do some renovations, and the new rent would go up 25% (already got a property management company committed on that 25% increase). The numbers look overall pretty good and I will try to get a reduced price after inspection.

      0Reply
  • Mark Cruse
    Investor · Fort Washington, MD · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1y

    I wish someone would give me a discounted him near Arlington Cemetary. 

    2Reply
  • Bruce Lynn
    Real Estate Broker · Coppell, TX · Member since 2011 · 5k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    1y

    Down the street?  Probably not such a big deal.  Next door or a couple of doors down or within sight, definitely a negative.  Maybe 10% discount or more, maybe double the discount of living next to power lines, busy street, commercial property or some other perceived negative.  I've shown a few to buyers that bordered the cemetery and they were a big fat NO.
    I guess all depends on where it is too, but in most of my markets we have huge international communities and they seem to care even more.  Can't tell you how many people have asked if someone died in the house.  Typically if natural death it does not have to be shared, only if a murder.  People do die at home.  That's not unusual.  But many buyers don't want any part of that.

    1Reply
    • Ying Tang
      OP
      Member since 2025 · 316 posts · 119 votes
      1y

      @Bruce Lynn Thanks for the comment Bruce! I know I would be concerned with unnatural death, but death by aging would be acceptable.

      0Reply
  • Ruth B.
    Rental Property Investor · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2015 · 16 posts · 20 votes
    1y

    Years ago I owned a duplex a few doors down from a large cemetery. I never thought twice about the cemetery when purchasing the property and actually loved the location because with fewer residences in the area, it was very quiet. Over the years, I was surprised to find that when showing the property and interviewing potential new tenants, several people expressed their concerns about the cemetery. I remember one couple in particular: the husband didn’t care but the wife was adamant that she did not want to “live near dead people.” I also had many happy tenants who stayed for years. In my experience, although some people are superstitious and may stay away from your location, MOST people won’t care if your unit is nice and priced well. I can't provide a percentage estimate.

    1Reply
    • Ying Tang
      OP
      Member since 2025 · 316 posts · 119 votes
      1y

      @Ruth B.  Thanks Ruth! It's a duplex in a high density area. I think maybe it matters more for SFHs or high end communities more than a high density neighborhood?

      0Reply
  • Kate Sanchez
    Member since 2025 · 242 posts · 98 votes
    1y

    @Ying Tang  If tenants are happy, maybe buyers won’t mind. Do you have any past sales data?

    1Reply
  • Andrew Street
    Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 292 votes
    1y

    Hey there Ying - You're right! While proximity to a cemetery is considered a major negative in parts of Asia, in the U.S. it generally doesn't carry the same stigma. Some buyers may be put off, but others might appreciate the quiet surroundings. It could slightly impact resale value or time on market, but it's unlikely to be a dealbreaker especially if the property is otherwise desirable and has strong rental history.

    I'd be happy to connect for more ideas! 

    0Reply
    • Ying Tang
      OP
      Member since 2025 · 316 posts · 119 votes
      1y

      @Andrew Street Thanks Andrew! I asked a property management company to see if they think it's a problem to rent. He said "not a big deal. Just give them some sage to burn".

      0Reply
  • David Dachtera
    Rental Property Investor · Rockford, IL · Member since 2014 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    1y

    I once owned a home where the "neighbor" behind was a cemetery. The lot was some 200 feet deep, the back yard was some 60 feet deep and there was a chain-link fence and a wooded buffer zone before the first rows of graves.

    The down sides were:

    That part of town was known as skunk alley. I hit one once. The freeway now known as I-290 runs along the south border and had an access ramp from US-20. On the ramp, I once had a skunk come out from under the pickup truck ahead of me. Hit my right-front wheel. The car stank for months.

    There was a crematorium in the south-west corner of the cemetery. At times, a smoky-blue haze hung over the land which smelled like BBQ. Probably the only ones who would have been bothered were holocaust survivors and superstitious people.

    My $0.02 ...

    1Reply
  • Drew SygitBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    1y

    It will bother some people, attract others!

    The price vs product valuation is probably more important to the majority of people.

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    1Reply
    • Ying Tang
      OP
      Member since 2025 · 316 posts · 119 votes
      1y

      @Drew Sygit Thanks Drew! The setting is otherwise great. I looked up reports, the rental demand is strong. It shares boundary with a large park (didn't see any visitors except for one person walking dog). Price is good in terms of cash flow in today's market and mortgage rates.

      0Reply
  • Kasi V.
    Investor · Texas City, TX · Member since 2018 · 54 posts · 22 votes
    1y

    As an investor, I focus solely on the numbers—cash flow, appreciation, vacancy rates, and so on. No sentiments, no superstitions, and no Feng Shui or Vastu Shastra! 😅

    0Reply
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