Jackson County
Jackson County, Illinois: solar permitting grade C (score 42/100, Elevated Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | C · Elevated Risk · Score 42/100 |
| Population | 56,750 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Jackson County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. 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
No energy-related meetings, PSC dockets, or named opposition tracked for this county yet. See indexed calendar →
Nearby counties where SitePath is tracking energy activity: Randolph County (≈30 mi) · Johnson County (≈35 mi) · Jefferson County (≈43 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Jackson County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Ava city
- Carbondale city
- Grand Tower city
- Murphysboro city
- Campbell Hill village
- De Soto village
- Dowell village
- Elkville village
- Gorham village
- Makanda village
- Vergennes village
- Bradley township
- Carbondale township
- De Soto township
- Degognia township
- Elk township
- Fountain Bluff township
- Grand Tower township
- Kinkaid township
- Levan township
- Makanda township
- Murphysboro township
- Ora township
- Pomona township
Show all
- Sand Ridge township
- Somerset township
- Vergennes township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Perry County · ≈21 miD53—
- Union County · ≈23 miC47—
- Perry County, MO · ≈24 miC46—
- Williamson County · ≈25 miB34—
- Franklin County · ≈29 miC45—
- Randolph County · ≈30 miC44—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Jackson County ranks #48 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.