Stearns County
Stearns County, Minnesota: solar permitting grade B (score 36/100, Moderate Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | B · Moderate Risk · Score 36/100 |
| Population | 164,075 |
| 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
Stearns County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. Minnesota'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
Local governments in Stearns County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Albany city
- Avon city
- Belgrade city
- Brooten citypartly in this county
- Clearwater city
- Cold Spring city
- Eden Valley citypartly in this county
- Elrosa city
- Freeport city
- Greenwald city
- Holdingford city
- Kimball city
- Lake Henry city
- Meire Grove city
- Melrose city
- New Munich city
- Paynesville city
- Richmond city
- Rockville city
- Roscoe city
- Sartell citypartly in this county
- Sauk Centre city
- Spring Hill city
- St. Anthony city
Show all
- St. Augusta city
- St. Cloud citypartly in this county
- St. Joseph city
- St. Martin city
- St. Rosa city
- St. Stephen city
- Waite Park city
- Albany township
- Ashley township
- Avon township
- Brockway township
- Collegeville township
- Crow Lake township
- Crow River township
- Eden Lake township
- Fair Haven township
- Farming township
- Getty township
- Grove township
- Holding township
- Krain township
- Lake George township
- Lake Henry township
- Le Sauk township
- Luxemburg township
- Lynden township
- Maine Prairie township
- Melrose township
- Millwood township
- Munson township
- North Fork township
- Oak township
- Paynesville township
- Raymond township
- Sauk Centre township
- Spring Hill township
- St. Joseph township
- St. Martin township
- St. Wendel township
- Wakefield township
- Zion township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Meeker County · ≈30 miC49—
- Benton County · ≈31 miC46—
- Kandiyohi County · ≈34 miC43—
- Morrison County · ≈36 miB40—
- Todd County · ≈38 miB30—
- Pope County · ≈41 miC44—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Stearns County ranks #35 of 87 ranked Minnesota counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Minnesota: Ramsey County (A · 26), Hennepin County (A · 27), Rock County (A · 28). See all Minnesota 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.