Highland County
Highland County, Ohio: solar permitting grade F (score 72/100, Very High Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | F · Very High Risk · Score 72/100 |
| Population | 43,007 |
| Solar ordinance | Active, restrictive solar ordinance |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Worsening (ordinance direction tightening) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Highland County is very high risk for utility-scale solar permitting. Significant regulatory barriers are on record, and approval is not likely without substantial process investment. 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: Clinton County (≈19 mi) · Adams County (≈25 mi) · Clermont County (≈31 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Highland County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Hillsboro city
- Greenfield village
- Highland village
- Leesburg village
- Lynchburg villagepartly in this county
- Mowrystown village
- Sardinia villagepartly in this county
- Sinking Spring village
- Brushcreek township
- Clay township
- Concord township
- Dodson township
- Fairfield township
- Hamer township
- Jackson township
- Liberty township
- Madison township
- Marshall township
- New Market township
- Paint township
- Penn township
- Salem township
- Union township
- Washington township
Show all
- Whiteoak township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Clinton County · ≈19 miC47—
- Brown County · ≈22 miF69—
- Adams County · ≈25 miD61—
- Fayette County · ≈27 miD62—
- Pike County · ≈31 miC44—
- Clermont County · ≈31 miF100—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Highland County ranks #82 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.