Plymouth County
Plymouth County, Massachusetts: solar permitting grade C (score 44/100, 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 44/100 |
| Population | 521,202 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Plymouth County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.
Local intel
On file: energy-related meetings · named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
In Massachusetts, towns hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Plymouth County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Bridgewater Town city
- Brockton city
- Abington town
- Carver townrules on file
- Duxbury townrules on file
- East Bridgewater townrules on file
- Halifax townrules on file
- Hanover townrules on file
- Hanson town
- Hingham town
- Hull town
- Kingston town
- Lakeville townrules on file
- Marion townrules on file
- Marshfield townrules on file
- Mattapoisett town
- Middleborough town
- Norwell town
- Pembroke townrules on file
- Plymouth townrules on file
- Plympton townrules on file
- Rochester townrules on file
- Rockland townrules on file
- Scituate town
Show all
- Wareham townrules on file
- West Bridgewater town
- Whitman town
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Bristol County · ≈24 miC42—
- Norfolk County · ≈26 miB41—
- Suffolk County · ≈28 miB35—
- Barnstable County · ≈30 miC49—
- Bristol County, RI · ≈34 miB40—
- Dukes County · ≈42 miC45—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Plymouth County ranks #10 of 14 ranked Massachusetts counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Massachusetts: Middlesex County (B · 34), Hampshire County (B · 34), Suffolk County (B · 35). See all Massachusetts 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.