Kalamazoo County
Kalamazoo County, Michigan: solar permitting grade D (score 56/100, 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 56/100 |
| Population | 265,066 |
| 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
Kalamazoo County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. Michigan'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
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
In Michigan, townships hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Kalamazoo County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Galesburg city
- Kalamazoo city
- Parchment city
- Portage city
- Augusta village
- Climax village
- Richland village
- Schoolcraft village
- Vicksburg village
- Alamo township
- Brady township
- Charleston township
- Climax township
- Comstock charter township
- Cooper charter township
- Kalamazoo charter township
- Oshtemo charter township
- Pavilion township
- Prairie Ronde township
- Richland township
- Ross township
- Schoolcraft township
- Texas charter township
- Wakeshma township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Saint Joseph County · ≈23 miB36—
- Barry County · ≈26 miB34—
- Calhoun County · ≈27 miC49—
- Branch County · ≈33 miC50—
- Cass County · ≈33 miC50—
- Van Buren County · ≈40 miC42—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Kalamazoo County ranks #83 of 83 ranked Michigan counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Michigan: Macomb County (A · 28), Oakland County (A · 29), Washtenaw County (B · 31). See all Michigan 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.