McPherson County
McPherson County, South Dakota: solar permitting grade C (score 49/100, 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 49/100 |
| Population | 2,299 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Worsening (ordinance direction tightening) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
McPherson 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: Dickey County (≈41 mi) · Walworth County (≈47 mi) · Day County (≈83 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in McPherson County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Eureka city
- Leola city
- Hillsview town
- Long Lake town
- Wetonka town
- Carl township
- Hoffman township
- Wachter township
- Wacker township
- Weber township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- McIntosh County, ND · ≈26 miC44—
- Edmunds County · ≈26 miC43—
- Campbell County · ≈39 miC44—
- Dickey County, ND · ≈41 miB30—
- Brown County · ≈44 miB41—
- Walworth County · ≈47 miB30—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
McPherson County ranks #63 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.