Gaston County
Gaston County, North Carolina: solar permitting grade C (score 47/100, 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 47/100 |
| Population | 227,943 |
| 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
Gaston County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.
Local intel
No energy-related meetings, PSC dockets, or named opposition tracked for this county yet. See indexed calendar →
Nearby counties where SitePath is tracking energy activity: Lincoln County (≈14 mi) · Mecklenburg County (≈20 mi) · Cleveland County (≈22 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Gaston County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Belmont city
- Bessemer City city
- Cherryville city
- Gastonia city
- High Shoals city
- Kings Mountain citypartly in this county
- Lowell city
- Mount Holly city
- Cramerton town
- Dallas town
- McAdenville town
- Ranlo town
- Stanley town
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Lincoln County · ≈14 miB37—
- Mecklenburg County · ≈20 miC47—
- Cleveland County · ≈22 miD64—
- York County, SC · ≈22 miD54—
- Catawba County · ≈26 miC51—
- Cherokee County, SC · ≈30 miB35—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Gaston County ranks #55 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.