York County
York County, Pennsylvania: 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 | 456,438 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
York County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. 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
In Pennsylvania, townships hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in York County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- York city
- Cross Roads borough
- Dallastown borough
- Delta borough
- Dillsburg borough
- Dover borough
- East Prospect borough
- Fawn Grove borough
- Felton borough
- Franklintown borough
- Glen Rock borough
- Goldsboro borough
- Hallam borough
- Hanover borough
- Jacobus borough
- Jefferson borough
- Lewisberry borough
- Loganville borough
- Manchester borough
- Mount Wolf borough
- New Freedom borough
- New Salem borough
- North York borough
- Railroad borough
Show all
- Red Lion borough
- Seven Valleys borough
- Shrewsbury borough
- Spring Grove borough
- Stewartstown borough
- Wellsville borough
- West York borough
- Windsor borough
- Winterstown borough
- Wrightsville borough
- Yoe borough
- York Haven borough
- Yorkana borough
- Carroll township
- Chanceford township
- Codorus township
- Conewago township
- Dover township
- East Hopewell township
- East Manchester township
- Fairview township
- Fawn township
- Franklin township
- Heidelberg township
- Hellam township
- Hopewell township
- Jackson township
- Lower Chanceford township
- Lower Windsor township
- Manchester township
- Manheim township
- Monaghan township
- Newberry township
- North Codorus township
- North Hopewell township
- Paradise township
- Peach Bottom township
- Penn township
- Shrewsbury township
- Spring Garden township
- Springettsbury township
- Springfield township
- Warrington township
- Washington township
- West Manchester township
- West Manheim township
- Windsor township
- York township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Adams County · ≈26 miC43—
- Lancaster County · ≈27 miD61—
- Carroll County, MD · ≈29 miF66—
- Cumberland County · ≈33 miB40—
- Baltimore County, MD · ≈34 miC49—
- Lebanon County · ≈34 miC48—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
York County ranks #50 of 67 ranked Pennsylvania counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Pennsylvania: Montgomery County (B · 33), Monroe County (B · 35), Perry County (B · 36). See all Pennsylvania 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.