Onondaga County
Onondaga County, New York: solar permitting grade D (score 55/100, 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 55/100 |
| Population | 476,516 |
| Solar ordinance | No specific solar ordinance recorded |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Onondaga 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 Onondaga County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Syracuse city
- Camillus town
- Cicero town
- Clay town
- De Witt town
- Elbridge town
- Fabius town
- Geddes town
- LaFayette town
- Lysander town
- Manlius town
- Marcellus town
- Onondaga town
- Otisco town
- Pompey town
- Salina town
- Skaneateles town
- Spafford town
- Tully town
- Van Buren town
- Baldwinsville village
- Camillus village
- East Syracuse village
- Elbridge village
Show all
- Fabius village
- Fayetteville village
- Jordan village
- Liverpool village
- Manlius village
- Marcellus village
- Minoa village
- North Syracuse village
- Skaneateles village
- Solvay village
- Tully village
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Cayuga County · ≈19 miD64—
- Madison County · ≈28 miB36—
- Cortland County · ≈29 miC42—
- Oswego County · ≈31 miC43—
- Seneca County · ≈35 miC48—
- Tompkins County · ≈41 miC46—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Onondaga County ranks #56 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.