Pierce County
Pierce County, Washington: solar permitting grade B (score 33/100, Moderate Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | B · Moderate Risk · Score 33/100 |
| Population | 921,130 |
| Solar ordinance | Active, restrictive solar ordinance |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Pierce County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. Washington's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Pierce County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Auburn citypartly in this county
- Bonney Lake city
- Buckley city
- DuPont city
- Edgewood city
- Enumclaw citypartly in this county
- Fife city
- Fircrest city
- Gig Harbor city
- Lakewood city
- Milton citypartly in this county
- Orting city
- Pacific citypartly in this county
- Puyallup city
- Roy city
- Sumner city
- Tacoma city
- University Place city
- Carbonado town
- Eatonville town
- Ruston town
- South Prairie town
- Steilacoom town
- Wilkeson town
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Thurston County · ≈33 miA22—
- Lewis County · ≈34 miC46—
- King County · ≈35 miC49—
- Kitsap County · ≈48 miB37—
- Mason County · ≈53 miB37—
- Cowlitz County · ≈64 miB40—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Pierce County ranks #7 of 39 ranked Washington counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Washington: Thurston County (A · 22), Snohomish County (A · 25), Whatcom County (A · 27). See all Washington 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.