Top 10 profilesverified
10/10Verified county profiles
Rankings
Best Colorado Counties for Solar Potential
A sourced county-centroid solar resource ranking from NASA POWER climatology.
Ranking boundary
Rankings Are Discovery Leads
A high ranking means a county is worth researching first. It is not legal advice, a recommendation to buy land, or proof that any parcel will qualify for a specific use.
sourced
Solar potential uses county-centroid irradiance as a broad planning proxy.
Source confidence
Ranking Confidence Strip
A quick trust check for the top-ranked counties: source-status coverage, major source coverage, citation depth, and the number of source inputs behind this ranking.
Source coverageverified
10/10Major sourced layers present
Citation depthsourced
20Top 10 county citation URLs
Ranking inputssourced
3Source groups used by this ranking
How to use this ranking
Rankings Build A Shortlist, Not A Final Answer
Start With The Default Ranking
Use this as a short list of Colorado counties with stronger source confidence for this topic.
Refine In County Finder
Filter by state, density, land affordability, solar, broadband, lifestyle scores, and source status.
Open Profiles And Verify Parcels
Use county profiles for source trails and next checks, then confirm the exact parcel with current local planning and permitting sources and qualified professionals.
Solar ranks county-level fit
The score helps sort counties by broad discovery signals for this topic. It is a comparison tool, not a parcel-level finding.
Status labels describe source support
Verified and sourced-discovery labels explain how much public source support sits behind the profile. They are not government approvals.
Local review still decides the parcel
Before acting, confirm zoning, occupancy, water, septic, access, covenants, utilities, and permits for the exact property.
Data confidence
Confidence labels describe source support. They do not approve a parcel, project, permit, well, septic system, RV stay, or dwelling.
County-level profile has stronger official source coverage, but parcel-level approval is still not confirmed.
County-level sourced discovery profile has useful official or public sources, but parcel decisions still require local due diligence.
Draft profile should be treated as early screening only until more source review is complete.
Decision snapshot
Top Matches To Research First
Start with these counties, then compare parcel rules, water, septic, access, covenants, and local office guidance before treating any county as a fit.
#1Verified
Alamosa County
10Best initial fit: San Luis Valley land research, Tiny home code review. Verify parcel-level rules before buying.
#2Verified
Archuleta County
10Best initial fit: Pagosa-area land research, Mountain and forest-edge homesteading research. Verify parcel-level rules before buying.
#3Verified
Conejos County
10Best initial fit: San Luis Valley land research, Off-grid research with septic planning. Verify parcel-level rules before buying.
Comparison table
Top 25 County Signals
Scan the current ranking beside adjacent signals that often change a rural land or alternative housing decision.
| Rank | County | Solar | Freedom | Tiny | RV | Off-grid | Land | Broadband | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Alamosa County | 10 | 76 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 92 | 9/10 | Verified |
| #2 | Archuleta County | 10 | 62 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 20 | 9/10 | Verified |
| #3 | Conejos County | 10 | 69 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 85 | 7/10 | Verified |
| #4 | Costilla County | 10 | 81 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 94 | 8/10 | Verified |
| #5 | Dolores County | 10 | 70 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 83 | 7/10 | Verified |
| #6 | La Plata County | 10 | 58 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 20 | 9/10 | Verified |
| #7 | Mineral County | 10 | 62 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 20 | 9/10 | Verified |
| #8 | Montezuma County | 10 | 65 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 52 | 7/10 | Verified |
| #9 | Rio Grande County | 10 | 62 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 33 | 8/10 | Verified |
| #10 | San Miguel County | 10 | 53 | 2/5 | 1/5 | 2/5 | 85 | 7/10 | Verified |
| #11 | Baca County | 9 | 72 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 100 | 7/10 | Verified |
| #12 | Bent County | 9 | 71 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 100 | 7/10 | Verified |
| #13 | Cheyenne County | 9 | 72 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 96 | 9/10 | Verified |
| #14 | Crowley County | 9 | 67 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 96 | 7/10 | Verified |
| #15 | Delta County | 9 | 77 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 74 | 7/10 | Verified |
| #16 | El Paso County | 9 | 39 | 2/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 20 | 9/10 | Verified |
| #17 | Gunnison County | 9 | 67 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 58 | 9/10 | Verified |
| #18 | Hinsdale County | 9 | 61 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 20 | 9/10 | Verified |
| #19 | Huerfano County | 9 | 61 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 89 | 6/10 | Verified |
| #20 | Kiowa County | 9 | 69 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 100 | 7/10 | Verified |
| #21 | Las Animas County | 9 | 72 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 95 | 8/10 | Verified |
| #22 | Mesa County | 9 | 57 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 20 | 9/10 | Verified |
| #23 | Montrose County | 9 | 63 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 36 | 8/10 | Verified |
| #24 | Otero County | 9 | 68 | 3/5 | 1/5 | 4/5 | 100 | 7/10 | Verified |
| #25 | Ouray County | 9 | 44 | 2/5 | 1/5 | 2/5 | 20 | 9/10 | Verified |
Before you rely on the list
Turn Ranked Counties Into A Verification Plan
Use the ranking to choose counties worth researching, then confirm the parcel, jurisdiction, occupancy path, water, septic, access, and private restrictions before treating any result as a real land-buying candidate.
Check parcel conditions
County solar potential is a screen. Confirm shading, slope, winter access, battery requirements, backup power, snow, fire risk, and equipment access.
Confirm the exact jurisdiction
Check whether the parcel is governed by unincorporated Colorado, a municipality, a planning district, tribal jurisdiction where relevant, or a special overlay.
Read title, covenants, and access documents
Review recorded covenants, HOA or POA rules, easements, road agreements, title exceptions, fire access, and winter or seasonal access before relying on a county-level score.
Default view: verified county profiles only.
This leaderboard shows 64 verified Colorado county profiles. No sourced-discovery profiles are excluded for this ranking.
What this ranking means
Use this to compare broad county-level solar resource signals before parcel-level shading, slope, storage, grid, and backup-power design.
What it does not prove
A top-ranked county does not mean a specific parcel allows a tiny home, RV, container home, ADU, off-grid dwelling, well, septic system, driveway, utility plan, or full-time occupancy. Always verify the exact parcel and local jurisdiction.
#1Alamosa CountyVerifiedSolar10
Alamosa County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for San Luis Valley land research and Tiny home code review. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#2Archuleta CountyVerifiedSolar10Archuleta County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Pagosa-area land research and Mountain and forest-edge homesteading research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#3Conejos CountyVerifiedSolar10Conejos County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for San Luis Valley land research and Off-grid research with septic planning. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#4Costilla CountyVerifiedSolar10Costilla County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Cheap land research and Off-grid project research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#5Dolores CountyVerifiedSolar10Dolores County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Remote southwest Colorado research and Off-grid research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#6La Plata CountyVerifiedSolar10La Plata County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Southwest Colorado land research and Durango-area rural comparison. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#7Mineral CountyVerifiedSolar10Mineral County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Remote San Juan mountain research and Off-grid research with septic focus. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#8Montezuma CountyVerifiedSolar10Montezuma County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Southwest Colorado homesteading research and Solar-oriented land search. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#9Rio Grande CountyVerifiedSolar10Rio Grande County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for San Luis Valley services-plus-land research and Solar-oriented homesteading. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#10San Miguel CountyVerifiedSolar10San Miguel County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Telluride-area high-code benchmark and Mountain land-use code research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#11Baca CountyVerifiedSolar9Baca County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Eastern Plains acreage research and Solar-oriented off-grid research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#12Bent CountyVerifiedSolar9Bent County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Southeast Colorado acreage research and Solar-oriented rural buyers. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#13Cheyenne CountyVerifiedSolar9Cheyenne County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Eastern Plains acreage research and Low-density rural land search. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#14Crowley CountyVerifiedSolar9Crowley County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Southeast Colorado affordability research and Solar-oriented acreage research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#15Delta CountyVerifiedSolar9Delta County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Western Slope homesteading research and Agricultural land research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#16El Paso CountyVerifiedSolar9El Paso County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Large mixed county research and Colorado Springs rural-edge comparison. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#17Gunnison CountyVerifiedSolar9Gunnison County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Mountain off-grid research and No-zoning-but-permitted-use research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#18Hinsdale CountyVerifiedSolar9Hinsdale County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Remote high-country research and Public land and recreation access. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#19Huerfano CountyVerifiedSolar9Huerfano County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Southern Colorado homesteading research and Off-grid research with water/septic planning. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#20Kiowa CountyVerifiedSolar9Kiowa County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Eastern Plains acreage research and Solar-oriented rural land. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#21Las Animas CountyVerifiedSolar9Las Animas County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Large rural land research and Off-grid living research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#22Mesa CountyVerifiedSolar9Mesa County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Western Slope services and land and Solar-oriented homesteading research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#23Montrose CountyVerifiedSolar9Montrose County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Western Slope rural land research and Off-grid and recreation access research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#24Otero CountyVerifiedSolar9Otero County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Southeast Colorado affordability research and Solar-oriented land search. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#25Ouray CountyVerifiedSolar9Ouray County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for San Juan mountain benchmark and High-recreation land research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#26Prowers CountyVerifiedSolar9Prowers County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Southeast Plains affordability research and Solar-oriented acreage buyers. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#27Pueblo CountyVerifiedSolar9Pueblo County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Affordable land research and Solar-oriented rural land search. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#28San Juan CountyVerifiedSolar9San Juan County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Extreme mountain buildability research and Avalanche/geohazard review. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#29Adams CountyVerifiedSolar8Adams County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Front Range zoning comparison and ADU and urban-edge policy research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#30Arapahoe CountyVerifiedSolar8Arapahoe County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Front Range comparison research and ADU and infill policy review. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#31Chaffee CountyVerifiedSolar8Chaffee County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Mountain land research and Recreation-focused homesteading research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#32Custer CountyVerifiedSolar8Custer County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Mountain-rural homesteading research and Off-grid research with winter planning. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#33Douglas CountyVerifiedSolar8Douglas County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Front Range rural-edge comparison and Zoning resolution review. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#34Eagle CountyVerifiedSolar8Eagle County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Luxury mountain benchmark and Solar and green-building policy research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#35Elbert CountyVerifiedSolar8Elbert County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Front Range rural-edge research and Tiny-house-on-wheels classification research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#36Fremont CountyVerifiedSolar8Fremont County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Balanced services and rural land research and Southern Colorado homesteading research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#37Garfield CountyVerifiedSolar8Garfield County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Western Slope rural land research and Recreation-access buyers. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#38Kit Carson CountyVerifiedSolar8Kit Carson County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Eastern Plains land research and Solar-oriented acreage buyers. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#39Lake CountyVerifiedSolar8Lake County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for High-elevation mountain land research and Tiny home code review. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#40Lincoln CountyVerifiedSolar8Lincoln County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Large acreage agricultural research and Eastern Plains off-grid research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#41Moffat CountyVerifiedSolar8Moffat County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Large acreage research and Northwest Colorado off-grid research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#42Pitkin CountyVerifiedSolar8Pitkin County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Luxury mountain benchmark and Strict-code comparison. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#43Saguache CountyVerifiedSolar8Saguache County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Tiny home research and Off-grid living research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#44Summit CountyVerifiedSolar8Summit County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Resort-county benchmark and Strict land-use and building review. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#45Teller CountyVerifiedSolar8Teller County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Mountain-rural land research and Colorado Springs-adjacent off-grid review. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#46Washington CountyVerifiedSolar8Washington County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Eastern Plains acreage research and Solar-oriented rural land. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#47Boulder CountyVerifiedSolar7Boulder County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Strict-code benchmark county and ADU and land use policy comparison. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#48Broomfield CountyVerifiedSolar7Broomfield County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Urban county benchmark and ADU and municipal policy review. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#49Clear Creek CountyVerifiedSolar7Clear Creek County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Mountain code review and Recreation access research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#50Denver CountyVerifiedSolar7Denver County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Urban ADU and code comparison and Low-freedom benchmark. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#51Gilpin CountyVerifiedSolar7Gilpin County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Mountain code research and Recreation access comparison. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#52Grand CountyVerifiedSolar7Grand County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Mountain land research and Seasonal and recreation property research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#53Jackson CountyVerifiedSolar7Jackson County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Remote North Park land research and High-country off-grid research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#54Jefferson CountyVerifiedSolar7Jefferson County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Front Range benchmark and ADU and infill policy research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#55Logan CountyVerifiedSolar7Logan County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Northeast Plains homesteading research and Agricultural services and land. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#56Morgan CountyVerifiedSolar7Morgan County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Agricultural homesteading research and Northeast Plains services and land. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#57Park CountyVerifiedSolar7Park County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Mountain land research and Off-grid research with careful permitting. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#58Phillips CountyVerifiedSolar7Phillips County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Northeast Plains affordability research and Small-county direct-contact research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#59Rio Blanco CountyVerifiedSolar7Rio Blanco County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Remote northwest Colorado land research and Off-grid research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#60Routt CountyVerifiedSolar7Routt County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Tiny home code research and Northwest mountain county comparison. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#61Sedgwick CountyVerifiedSolar7Sedgwick County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Northeast corner affordability research and Small-county direct-contact research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#62Weld CountyVerifiedSolar7Weld County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Northern plains acreage research and Agricultural land and services. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#63Yuma CountyVerifiedSolar7Yuma County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Eastern Plains land research and Agricultural homesteading research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
#64Larimer CountyVerifiedSolar6Larimer County, Colorado (CO), is worth shortlisting for Northern Front Range comparison and Rural-center and foothills research. Use this county-level profile to compare lifestyle fit, land signals, utilities, climate, and source status before parcel-level due diligence.
Research context
How To Read This Ranking
Ranking Source Trail
Solar potential rankings use county-centroid solar climatology as a broad planning proxy.