Madera County
Madera County, California: solar permitting grade B (score 39/100, Moderate Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | B · Moderate Risk · Score 39/100 |
| Population | 157,239 |
| Solar ordinance | No specific solar ordinance recorded |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Madera County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. California's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Madera County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Chowchilla city
- Madera city
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Mariposa County · ≈26 miB36—
- Fresno County · ≈31 miB41—
- Merced County · ≈54 miC47—
- Tuolumne County · ≈57 miB38—
- Mono County · ≈68 miB38—
- Stanislaus County · ≈73 miC46—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Madera County ranks #19 of 58 ranked California counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in California: Colusa County (A · 23), Glenn County (A · 25), Siskiyou County (A · 29). See all California county grades →
Want the full record?
Setback distances, board vote histories, source documents, and ordinance amendments are available in the full county profile. The map is free; a walkthrough shows you the underlying record.
About this score
Every U.S. county is scored 0–100 on solar permitting risk (lower is friendlier to development). The grade is a weighted composite of compliance stringency, market saturation, regulatory trajectory, and data uncertainty. Every figure traces back to a primary government document. Read the full methodology →
Related reading
SitePath Intelligence is a research platform. Data verified as of 2026-05-02. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.