Defiance County
Defiance County, Ohio: solar permitting grade D (score 52/100, 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 52/100 |
| Population | 38,087 |
| 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
Defiance County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Defiance County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Defiance city
- Hicksville village
- Ney village
- Sherwood village
- Adams township
- Defiance township
- Delaware township
- Farmer township
- Hicksville township
- Highland township
- Mark township
- Milford township
- Noble township
- Richland township
- Tiffin township
- Washington township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Paulding County · ≈15 miD53—
- Williams County · ≈18 miC46—
- Henry County · ≈22 miD62—
- Fulton County · ≈27 miC50—
- DeKalb County, IN · ≈27 miC43—
- Putnam County · ≈28 miC51—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Defiance County ranks #43 of 88 ranked Ohio counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Ohio: Tuscarawas County (B · 36), Vinton County (B · 36), Hamilton County (B · 37). See all Ohio 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.