Cattaraugus County
Cattaraugus County, New York: solar permitting grade D (score 59/100, 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 59/100 |
| Population | 76,117 |
| Solar ordinance | No specific solar ordinance recorded |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Cattaraugus County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. New York'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 New York, towns hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Cattaraugus County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Olean city
- Salamanca city
- Allegany town
- Ashford town
- Carrollton town
- Coldspring town
- Conewango town
- Dayton town
- East Otto town
- Ellicottville town
- Farmersville town
- Franklinville town
- Freedom town
- Great Valley town
- Hinsdale town
- Humphrey town
- Ischua town
- Leon town
- Little Valley town
- Lyndon town
- Machias town
- Mansfield town
- Napoli town
- New Albion town
Show all
- Olean town
- Otto town
- Perrysburg town
- Persia town
- Portville town
- Randolph town
- Red House town
- Salamanca town
- South Valley town
- Yorkshire town
- Allegany village
- Cattaraugus village
- Delevan village
- Ellicottville village
- Franklinville village
- Gowanda village
- Little Valley village
- Portville village
- South Dayton village
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- McKean County, PA · ≈30 miD61—
- Allegany County · ≈33 miC51—
- Erie County · ≈35 miB35—
- Chautauqua County · ≈37 miC44—
- Wyoming County · ≈39 miB40—
- Warren County, PA · ≈43 miC49—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Cattaraugus County ranks #59 of 62 ranked New York counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in New York: Bronx County (A · 28), Saratoga County (B · 30), Queens County (B · 30). See all New York 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.