Polk County
Polk County, Iowa: solar permitting grade A (score 25/100, Low Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | A · Low Risk · Score 25/100 |
| Population | 492,401 |
| Solar ordinance | No specific solar ordinance recorded |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Polk County is among the lower-risk jurisdictions in Iowa for utility-scale solar development — ordinance conditions are favorable and permitting history is constructive.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Polk County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Alleman city
- Altoona city
- Ankeny city
- Bondurant city
- Carlisle city
- Clive citypartly in this county
- Des Moines city
- Elkhart city
- Granger citypartly in this county
- Grimes citypartly in this county
- Johnston city
- Mitchellville citypartly in this county
- Norwalk city
- Pleasant Hill city
- Polk City city
- Runnells city
- Sheldahl citypartly in this county
- Urbandale citypartly in this county
- West Des Moines citypartly in this county
- Windsor Heights city
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Warren County · ≈24 miB34—
- Dallas County · ≈24 miB38—
- Story County · ≈25 miB33—
- Jasper County · ≈27 miB37—
- Boone County · ≈31 miB39—
- Madison County · ≈34 miD55—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Polk County ranks #1 of 99 ranked Iowa counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Iowa: Scott County (A · 29), Wapello County (B · 30), Lyon County (B · 30). 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.