Caldwell County
Caldwell County, North Carolina: solar permitting grade B (score 39/100, 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 39/100 |
| Population | 82,178 |
| 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
Caldwell County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Caldwell County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Hickory citypartly in this county
- Lenoir city
- Blowing Rock town
- Cajah's Mountain town
- Gamewell town
- Granite Falls town
- Hudson town
- Rhodhiss townpartly in this county
- Rutherford College townpartly in this county
- Sawmills town
- Cedar Rock village
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Burke County · ≈18 miC43—
- Alexander County · ≈20 miC43—
- Watauga County · ≈22 miB40—
- Avery County · ≈23 miB38—
- Wilkes County · ≈27 miB38—
- Catawba County · ≈27 miC51—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Caldwell County ranks #29 of 100 ranked North Carolina counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in North Carolina: Iredell County (A · 28), Tyrrell County (B · 31), Cherokee County (B · 31). See all North Carolina 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.