Franklin County
Franklin County, Ohio: solar permitting grade D (score 53/100, 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 53/100 |
| Population | 1,323,807 |
| 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
Franklin 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 Franklin County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Bexley city
- Canal Winchester citypartly in this county
- Columbus citypartly in this county
- Dublin citypartly in this county
- Gahanna city
- Grandview Heights city
- Grove City city
- Groveport city
- Hilliard city
- New Albany city
- Pickerington citypartly in this county
- Reynoldsburg citypartly in this county
- Upper Arlington city
- Westerville citypartly in this county
- Whitehall city
- Worthington city
- Brice village
- Harrisburg village
- Lithopolis villagepartly in this county
- Lockbourne village
- Marble Cliff village
- Minerva Park village
- Obetz village
- Riverlea village
Show all
- Urbancrest village
- Valleyview village
- Blendon township
- Brown township
- Clinton township
- Franklin township
- Hamilton township
- Jackson township
- Jefferson township
- Madison township
- Mifflin township
- Norwich township
- Perry township
- Plain township
- Pleasant township
- Prairie township
- Sharon township
- Truro township
- Washington township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Delaware County · ≈21 miC49—
- Madison County · ≈21 miF83—
- Pickaway County · ≈22 miD57—
- Fairfield County · ≈25 miD66—
- Licking County · ≈29 miD54—
- Union County · ≈29 miD60—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Franklin County ranks #53 of 88 ranked Ohio counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Ohio: Tuscarawas County (B · 35), Vinton County (B · 35), 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.