DeKalb County
DeKalb County, Illinois: solar permitting grade D (score 58/100, High Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | D · High Risk · Score 58/100 |
| Population | 104,897 |
| Solar ordinance | Ordinance status documented in detail |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
DeKalb County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. Illinois'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 DeKalb County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- DeKalb city
- Genoa city
- Sandwich city
- Sycamore city
- Cortland town
- Hinckley village
- Kingston village
- Kirkland village
- Lee village
- Malta village
- Maple Park village
- Shabbona village
- Somonauk village
- Waterman village
- Afton township
- Clinton township
- Cortland township
- DeKalb township
- Franklin township
- Genoa township
- Kingston township
- Malta township
- Mayfield township
- Milan township
Show all
- Paw Paw township
- Pierce township
- Sandwich township
- Shabbona township
- Somonauk township
- South Grove township
- Squaw Grove township
- Sycamore township
- Victor township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Kane County · ≈18 miC50—
- Kendall County · ≈27 miD63—
- Lee County · ≈29 miB40—
- Boone County · ≈29 miC43—
- Ogle County · ≈30 miC43—
- McHenry County · ≈34 miD65—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
DeKalb County ranks #90 of 102 ranked Illinois counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Illinois: DeWitt County (A · 26), Bureau County (A · 26), Edgar County (A · 28). See all Illinois 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.