Water Hardness by City: Complete Guide
Tap water hardness varies more between cities than almost any other water-quality measure — from under 30 mg/L in Seattle to well over 300 mg/L in Las Vegas and Rome. Every city on this site is listed below with its typical hardness level and mg/L range, grouped by the same four-band USGS scale used on every city page. Sort within each band alphabetically or by hardness, and click through for the full water report.
Soft (0–60 mg/L) (48 cities)
Moderate (61–120 mg/L) (51 cities)
Hard (121–180 mg/L) (57 cities)
Very Hard (180+ mg/L) (104 cities)
Variable / Not Published (8 cities)
Ranges are typical values from utility reporting; ~ marks a band-typical estimate where the utility publishes a classification but no number. Cities are grouped by their typical mg/L value on the USGS scale, so a city page's descriptive rating (which may follow a looser local convention) can differ by a band. Hardness affects taste and limescale, not safety — see the hardness guide for what the numbers mean.