Johnston County
Johnston County, North Carolina: solar permitting grade C (score 48/100, 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 48/100 |
| Population | 231,543 |
| Solar ordinance | Active, restrictive solar ordinance |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Johnston 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: Wake County (≈25 mi) · Wilson County (≈28 mi) · Harnett County (≈30 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Johnston County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Archer Lodge town
- Benson townpartly in this county
- Clayton town
- Four Oaks town
- Kenly town
- Micro town
- Pine Level town
- Princeton town
- Selma town
- Smithfield town
- Wilson's Mills town
- Zebulon town
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Wayne County · ≈23 miC50—
- Wake County · ≈25 miD58—
- Wilson County · ≈28 miB40—
- Harnett County · ≈30 miC42—
- Sampson County · ≈36 miC47—
- Nash County · ≈38 miD52—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Johnston County ranks #62 of 100 ranked North Carolina counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in North Carolina: Iredell County (A · 27), Tyrrell County (B · 30), Macon 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.