Washington County
Washington County, Wisconsin: 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 | 136,034 |
| 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
Washington 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 Washington County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Hartford citypartly in this county
- Milwaukee citypartly in this county
- West Bend city
- Addison town
- Barton town
- Erin town
- Farmington town
- Germantown town
- Hartford town
- Jackson town
- Kewaskum town
- Polk town
- Trenton town
- Wayne town
- West Bend town
- Germantown village
- Jackson village
- Kewaskum villagepartly in this county
- Newburg villagepartly in this county
- Richfield village
- Slinger village
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Dodge County · ≈24 miC45—
- Waukesha County · ≈26 miB33—
- Fond du Lac County · ≈28 miC43—
- Sheboygan County · ≈35 miC51—
- Ozaukee County · ≈37 miD53—
- Jefferson County · ≈38 miD54—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Washington County ranks #10 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.