Van Buren County
Van Buren County, Michigan: solar permitting grade C (score 42/100, 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 42/100 |
| Population | 77,203 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Van Buren County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. Michigan's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive.
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 Van Buren County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Bangor city
- Gobles city
- Hartford city
- South Haven citypartly in this county
- Bloomingdale village
- Breedsville village
- Decatur village
- Lawrence village
- Lawton village
- Mattawan village
- Paw Paw village
- Almena township
- Antwerp township
- Arlington township
- Bangor township
- Bloomingdale township
- Columbia township
- Covert township
- Decatur township
- Geneva township
- Hamilton township
- Hartford township
- Keeler township
- Lawrence township
Show all
- Paw Paw township
- Pine Grove township
- Porter township
- South Haven charter township
- Waverly township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Allegan County · ≈27 miB36—
- Cass County · ≈30 miC50—
- Kalamazoo County · ≈40 miD56—
- Berrien County · ≈41 miD55—
- St. Joseph County, IN · ≈46 miF78—
- Saint Joseph County · ≈48 miB36—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Van Buren County ranks #67 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.