Marion County
Marion County, Oregon: solar permitting grade C (score 42/100, 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 42/100 |
| Population | 345,920 |
| Solar ordinance | Ordinance status documented in detail |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Marion County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. Oregon's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Marion County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Aumsville city
- Aurora city
- Detroit city
- Donald city
- Gates citypartly in this county
- Gervais city
- Hubbard city
- Idanha citypartly in this county
- Jefferson city
- Keizer city
- Mill City citypartly in this county
- Mount Angel city
- Salem city
- Scotts Mills city
- Silverton city
- St. Paul city
- Stayton city
- Sublimity city
- Turner city
- Woodburn city
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Clackamas County · ≈26 miC51—
- Linn County · ≈28 miC44—
- Polk County · ≈40 miD52—
- Yamhill County · ≈43 miD52—
- Multnomah County · ≈45 miB36—
- Benton County · ≈50 miB38—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Marion County ranks #10 of 36 ranked Oregon counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Oregon: Columbia County (B · 33), Deschutes County (B · 36), Lincoln County (B · 36). See all Oregon 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.