Rock County
Rock County, Wisconsin: solar permitting grade D (score 56/100, High Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | D · High Risk · Score 56/100 |
| Population | 163,520 |
| 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
Rock County is a high-risk jurisdiction for utility-scale solar — documented ordinance hurdles are significant and approval history is mixed or unfavorable. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.
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 Rock County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Beloit city
- Brodhead citypartly in this county
- Edgerton citypartly in this county
- Evansville city
- Janesville city
- Milton city
- Avon town
- Beloit town
- Bradford town
- Center town
- Clinton town
- Fulton town
- Harmony town
- Janesville town
- Johnstown town
- La Prairie town
- Lima town
- Magnolia town
- Milton town
- Newark town
- Plymouth town
- Porter town
- Rock town
- Spring Valley town
Show all
- Turtle town
- Union town
- Clinton village
- Footville village
- Orfordville village
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Winnebago County, IL · ≈23 miB36—
- Green County · ≈27 miB34—
- Walworth County · ≈27 miB39—
- Boone County, IL · ≈27 miC43—
- Jefferson County · ≈28 miD54—
- Dane County · ≈32 miD58—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Rock County ranks #66 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.