Water hardness by city
Tap water hardness in the US ranges from soft to very hard. Below is the typical hardness for each city we have checked, taken from the water utility's own yearly report. Pick your city for the full numbers and what they mean.
Typical hardness by city
Grains per gallon, from each city's water utility. Longer bar means harder water.
All cities
| City | Typical hardness | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis, IN | 19 gpg average (317 ppm) | Very hard |
| San Antonio, TX | 15 to 20 gpg (about 257 to 342 ppm) | Very hard |
| Las Vegas, NV | 16 gpg average (280 ppm) | Very hard |
| Mesa, AZ | 12 to 16 gpg by zone | Very hard |
| San Diego, CA | 13.8 to 14.2 gpg (237 to 243 ppm) | Very hard |
| Phoenix, AZ | 10 to 17.6 gpg (172 to 302 ppm) | Very hard |
| Tampa, FL | 12.3 gpg average (211 mg/L) | Very hard |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 8 to 12.4 gpg (136 to 212 ppm) | Hard |
| Los Angeles, CA | 6 to 13.8 gpg (103 to 236 mg/L) | Hard |
| Houston, TX | 7.9 gpg average (135.5 ppm) | Hard |
| Fort Worth, TX | 6 to 9 gpg (108 to 150 ppm) | Hard |
| Denver, CO | 6.1 gpg average (105 mg/L) | Moderately hard |
| Kansas City, MO | 5 to 6 gpg average (100 mg/L) | Moderately hard |
| Minneapolis, MN | 5.5 gpg average (94 ppm) | Moderately hard |
| Austin, TX | 5.4 gpg average (93 ppm) | Moderately hard |
| Sacramento, CA | 2.0 to 4.9 gpg (river plants) | Soft |
Hardness changes by neighborhood, water source and season. Each city page links to the report it comes from. More cities are added as we check each report.
How to read hardness
Reports list hardness in mg/L or ppm, which are the same thing. Softener makers use grains per gallon. To convert, divide mg/L by 17.1. Under 3.5 gpg is soft. Over 10.5 gpg is very hard.
City pages
City dataIndianapolis hard water: 19 grains per gallonAbout 19 grains per gallon. Very hard.
City dataSan Antonio hard water: 15 to 20 grains per gallon15 to 20 grains per gallon. Very hard.
City dataLas Vegas hard water: how hard is it?About 16 grains per gallon. Very hard.
City dataMesa hard water: 12 to 16 grains per gallon12 to 16 grains per gallon by zone. Very hard.
City dataSan Diego hard water: about 14 grains per gallonAbout 14 grains per gallon. Very hard.
City dataPhoenix water hardness: what the city report says10 to 17.6 grains per gallon. Hard to very hard.
City dataTampa hard water: 12.3 grains per gallonAbout 12.3 grains per gallon. Very hard.
City dataSalt Lake City water hardness: 8 to 12.4 grains per gallon8 to 12.4 grains per gallon. Hard to very hard.
City dataLos Angeles water hardness: 6 to 14 grains per gallon6 to 13.8 grains per gallon by source. Hard.
City dataHouston water hardness: what the city report saysAbout 7.9 grains per gallon on average. Hard.
City dataFort Worth water hardness: 6 to 9 grains per gallon6 to 9 grains per gallon. Moderately hard to hard.
City dataDenver water hardness: about 6 grains per gallonAbout 6.1 grains per gallon. Moderately hard.
City dataKansas City water hardness: 5 to 6 grains per gallon5 to 6 grains per gallon. Moderately hard.
City dataMinneapolis water hardness: about 5.5 grains per gallonAbout 5.5 grains per gallon. Moderately hard.
City dataAustin water hardness: 5.4 grains per gallonAbout 5.4 grains per gallon. Moderately hard.
DataHow hard is Sacramento water?Hardness by utility, from each utility report.
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Book my free water testCommon questions
How do I find the water hardness for my ZIP code?
Find your water utility, then open its yearly water quality report (also called a Consumer Confidence Report). Hardness is usually listed in mg/L or ppm. Divide by 17.1 to get grains per gallon. Our city pages do this for you.
What is considered hard water?
Under 3.5 grains per gallon (60 mg/L) is soft. 3.5 to 7 is moderately hard. 7 to 10.5 is hard. Over 10.5 is very hard.
Is hard water bad for you?
Hard water is not a health risk. Utilities list it as an aesthetic issue. It causes spots, scale and shorter life for water heaters and appliances.