Meade County
Meade County, South Dakota: solar permitting grade C (score 47/100, 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 47/100 |
| Population | 28,352 |
| 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
Meade 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 (≈42 mi) · Oglala Lakota County (≈88 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Meade County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Box Elder city
- Faith city
- Piedmont city
- Sturgis city
- Summerset city
- Buffalo Chip town
- Dakota township
- Eagle township
- Elm Springs township
- Howard township
- Lakeside township
- Smithville township
- Union township
- Upper Red Owl township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Pennington County · ≈42 miD64—
- Butte County · ≈43 miB36—
- Lawrence County · ≈56 miB41—
- Ziebach County · ≈57 miB37—
- Haakon County · ≈60 miC49—
- Perkins County · ≈62 miC49—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Meade County ranks #58 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.