Polk County
Polk County, Wisconsin: solar permitting grade B (score 35/100, 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 35/100 |
| Population | 47,056 |
| Solar ordinance | Active, restrictive solar ordinance |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Polk County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
In Wisconsin, towns hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Polk County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Amery city
- St. Croix Falls city
- Alden town
- Apple River town
- Balsam Lake town
- Beaver town
- Black Brook town
- Bone Lake town
- Clam Falls town
- Clayton town
- Clear Lake town
- Eureka town
- Farmington town
- Garfield town
- Georgetown town
- Johnstown town
- Laketown town
- Lincoln town
- Lorain town
- Luck town
- McKinley town
- Milltown town
- Osceola town
- St. Croix Falls town
Show all
- Sterling town
- West Sweden town
- Balsam Lake village
- Centuria village
- Clayton village
- Clear Lake village
- Dresser village
- Frederic village
- Luck village
- Milltown village
- Osceola village
- Turtle Lake villagepartly in this county
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Chisago County, MN · ≈22 miC49—
- Burnett County · ≈28 miB39—
- Barron County · ≈29 miC46—
- Saint Croix County · ≈30 miD58—
- Washington County, MN · ≈37 miB37—
- Anoka County, MN · ≈41 miB31—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Polk County ranks #15 of 72 ranked Wisconsin counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Wisconsin: Sauk County (B · 31), Crawford County (B · 32), Sawyer County (B · 32). See all Wisconsin 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.