Worcester County
Worcester County, Massachusetts: solar permitting grade D (score 60/100, 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 60/100 |
| Population | 862,111 |
| 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
Worcester County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. 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
In Massachusetts, towns hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Worcester County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Fitchburg city
- Gardner city
- Leominster city
- Southbridge Town city
- Worcester city
- Ashburnham townrules on file
- Athol townrules on file
- Auburn townrules on file
- Barre townrules on file
- Berlin town
- Blackstone townrules on file
- Bolton townrules on file
- Boylston town
- Brookfield townrules on file
- Charlton townrules on file
- Clinton town
- Douglas townrules on file
- Dudley townrules on file
- East Brookfield town
- Grafton town
- Hardwick townrules on file
- Harvard town
- Holden townrules on file
- Hopedale town
Show all
- Hubbardston town
- Lancaster townrules on file
- Leicester townrules on file
- Lunenburg townrules on file
- Mendon townrules on file
- Milford town
- Millbury townrules on file
- Millville town
- New Braintree town
- North Brookfield town
- Northborough townrules on file
- Northbridge townrules on file
- Oakham townrules on file
- Oxford townrules on file
- Paxton townrules on file
- Petersham town
- Phillipston town
- Princeton town
- Royalston town
- Rutland townrules on file
- Shrewsbury townrules on file
- Southborough townrules on file
- Spencer townrules on file
- Sterling townrules on file
- Sturbridge townrules on file
- Sutton townrules on file
- Templeton townrules on file
- Upton townrules on file
- Uxbridge townrules on file
- Warren town
- Webster townrules on file
- West Boylston town
- West Brookfield town
- Westborough townrules on file
- Westminster townrules on file
- Winchendon townrules on file
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Middlesex County · ≈30 miB34—
- Windham County, CT · ≈34 miC50—
- Providence County, RI · ≈36 miB35—
- Hampshire County · ≈37 miB34—
- Tolland County, CT · ≈37 miC47—
- Hampden County · ≈38 miB40—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Worcester County ranks #14 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.