Hidalgo County
Hidalgo County, Texas: solar permitting grade A (score 22/100, Low Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | A · Low Risk · Score 22/100 |
| Population | 869,681 |
| Solar ordinance | Active, restrictive solar ordinance |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-09-25 |
Developer outlook
Hidalgo County is among the lower-risk jurisdictions in Texas for utility-scale solar development — ordinance conditions are favorable and permitting history is constructive.
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: Starr County (≈35 mi) · Cameron County (≈48 mi) · La Salle County (≈146 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Hidalgo County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Alamo city
- Alton city
- Donna city
- Edcouch city
- Edinburg city
- Elsa city
- Granjeno city
- Hidalgo city
- La Joya city
- La Villa city
- McAllen city
- Mercedes city
- Mission city
- Palmhurst city
- Palmview city
- Penitas city
- Pharr city
- Progreso Lakes city
- Progreso city
- San Juan city
- Sullivan City city
- Weslaco city
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Starr County · ≈35 miB31—
- Willacy County · ≈37 miB36—
- Brooks County · ≈44 miD62—
- Cameron County · ≈48 miA28—
- Kenedy County · ≈50 miB30—
- Jim Hogg County · ≈55 miB30—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Hidalgo County ranks #4 of 254 ranked Texas counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Texas: Reagan County (A · 20), Coleman County (A · 20), Atascosa County (A · 21). See all Texas 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 2026-09-25. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.