Adams County
Adams County, Iowa: solar permitting grade D (score 55/100, 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 55/100 |
| Population | 3,602 |
| Solar ordinance | No specific solar ordinance recorded |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Worsening (ordinance direction tightening) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Adams County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Adams County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Carbon city
- Corning city
- Lenox city
- Nodaway city
- Prescott city
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Taylor County · ≈20 miC49—
- Union County · ≈24 miC45—
- Montgomery County · ≈24 miC43—
- Adair County · ≈24 miB40—
- Cass County · ≈25 miC43—
- Page County · ≈30 miC43—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Adams County ranks #88 of 99 ranked Iowa counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Iowa: Polk County (A · 25), Scott County (A · 29), Wapello County (B · 31). See all Iowa 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.