Custer County
Custer County, South Dakota: 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 | 8,985 |
| 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
Custer County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement.
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: Pennington County (≈39 mi) · Oglala Lakota County (≈52 mi) · Niobrara County (≈66 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Custer County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Custer city
- Buffalo Gap town
- Fairburn town
- Hermosa town
- Pringle town
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Fall River County · ≈32 miC46—
- Pennington County · ≈39 miD64—
- Lawrence County · ≈49 miB41—
- Oglala Lakota County · ≈52 miB32—
- Weston County, WY · ≈56 miB41—
- Niobrara County, WY · ≈66 miB34—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Custer County ranks #37 of 66 ranked South Dakota counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in South Dakota: Deuel County (A · 28), Walworth County (B · 30), Aurora County (B · 30). See all South Dakota 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.