Question 1

What state has the cleanest tap water?

Accepted Answer

North Carolina has the cleanest tap water in the US, ranking #1 with a grade of A and a score of 100.0 out of 100. The top 5 states for water quality are North Carolina, South Dakota, Louisiana, Hawaii, New Hampshire.

Question 2

What state has the best water quality?

Accepted Answer

North Carolina has the best overall water quality based on population-weighted EPA data. Scores are calculated from city-level contaminant testing results, with higher scores indicating fewer contaminants above health guidelines.

Question 3

What city has the cleanest tap water?

Accepted Answer

Akutan, Alaska has the cleanest tap water of any city in our database, with a water quality score of 100 out of 100. The city serves 95 people.

Question 4

Which states have the worst water quality?

Accepted Answer

New Jersey currently has the most room for improvement in water quality, ranking last with a score of 73.9. The bottom 5 states are New Jersey, Nevada, Illinois, Massachusetts, Idaho. These rankings reflect contaminant levels relative to EPA health guidelines, not necessarily safety violations.

Question 5

How is water quality measured and ranked?

Accepted Answer

Our rankings are based on EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) data and utility Consumer Confidence Reports. Each city receives a score from 0 to 100 based on contaminant testing results compared to EPA health guidelines. State scores are population-weighted averages of city scores, and grades range from A (best) to F.

Question 6

Is US tap water safe to drink?

Accepted Answer

US tap water generally meets EPA legal limits (Maximum Contaminant Levels) and is considered safe to drink. However, health-based guidelines (MCLGs) are often stricter than legal limits. Many cities have contaminants above these health guidelines. Search your city to see detailed water quality data for your area.

Question 7

What contaminants are found in US tap water?

Accepted Answer

Common contaminants found in US tap water include disinfection byproducts (like trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids), PFAS (forever chemicals), lead from aging pipes, nitrate from agricultural runoff, and arsenic from natural deposits. The specific contaminants vary by location. Visit our contaminants page for detailed information.

Question 8

How does my state's water compare?

Accepted Answer

Use the rankings table above to find your state and see its grade, score, and ranking. You can also click on any state to see city-level data, or search for your specific city at the top of this site for detailed contaminant information and filter recommendations.

Rank	State	Grade	Score	Cities Tested	People served	Coverage
1	North Carolina	A	100.0	11	8,797,127	3.6%
2	South Dakota	A	100.0	5	573,573	1.8%
3	Louisiana	A	99.8	6	4,325,163	1%
4	Hawaii	A	99.5	65	1,184,629	100%
5	New Hampshire	A	99.5	5	565,135	5.9%
6	Indiana	A	97.9	437	4,470,115	100%
7	Kentucky	A	97.0	314	5,342,180	87.2%
8	Alaska	A	96.4	75	553,054	99.3%
9	Tennessee	A	95.9	347	7,250,290	98.7%
10	South Carolina	A	94.7	277	4,130,217	97.6%
11	Washington	A	94.4	433	7,343,391	99%
12	Oregon	A	94.3	253	3,218,566	99.2%
13	Alabama	A	94.1	407	6,514,370	99.9%
14	New Mexico	A	94.0	2	1,822,759	1.4%
15	Arkansas	A	93.9	441	2,538,306	99.8%
16	Maine	A	93.2	127	560,896	98.4%
17	Delaware	A	93.1	63	788,903	94.7%
18	North Dakota	A	92.8	103	469,949	89.8%
19	Virginia	A	92.4	318	7,551,657	94.1%
20	New York	A	92.2	744	18,231,522	94.9%
21	Connecticut	A	92.1	158	2,297,597	96%
22	Georgia	A	91.7	428	10,381,039	99.6%
23	Wyoming	A	91.4	77	361,500	98.2%
24	California	A	91.3	1,116	38,624,457	99.9%
25	Mississippi	A	91.3	312	2,229,634	99.9%
26	Michigan	A	91.0	496	6,336,858	99%
27	Florida	A	90.8	584	19,405,881	100%
28	Missouri	A	90.6	731	4,957,959	99.7%
29	Maryland	A	90.4	225	5,769,073	96.4%
30	Rhode Island	A	90.2	45	1,067,711	95.8%
31	West Virginia	A	90.0	207	1,397,639	92.7%
32	Colorado	A	89.3	304	6,109,362	99.9%
33	Pennsylvania	A	89.1	1,288	10,459,084	90.8%
34	Vermont	A	89.1	87	293,641	100%
35	Ohio	A	89.0	646	9,906,967	97.9%
36	District of Columbia	A	88.2	2	665,214	5.6%
37	Minnesota	A	87.5	436	4,300,026	95.4%
38	Iowa	A	86.9	411	2,884,965	95.1%
39	Utah	A	86.4	229	3,268,108	99.2%
40	Nebraska	A	86.1	204	1,337,344	67.5%
41	Wisconsin	A	85.7	473	3,880,032	99.6%
42	Montana	A	85.5	97	559,904	96.8%
43	Texas	A	84.3	1,362	26,398,072	99.9%
44	Arizona	A	84.0	176	6,321,522	99%
45	Kansas	A	83.6	362	2,434,108	99.2%
46	Oklahoma	A	83.4	505	3,818,458	99.3%
47	Idaho	A	80.7	109	1,292,892	96.8%
48	Massachusetts	A	80.7	354	7,038,046	98.5%
49	Illinois	B	78.7	753	23,402,754	99.1%
50	Nevada	B	78.1	61	2,964,858	99.9%
51	New Jersey	B	73.9	648	11,709,232	84.5%

Rank	City	State	Score	People served
1	Akutan	Alaska	100	95
2	Angoon	Alaska	100	450
3	College	Alaska	100	105,324
4	False Pass	Alaska	100	393
5	Farmers Loop	Alaska	100	78,324
6	Gateway	Alaska	100	495
7	Haines	Alaska	100	1,748
8	Hoonah	Alaska	100	980
9	Kake	Alaska	100	415
10	Karluk	Alaska	100	60
11	Kiana	Alaska	100	455
12	Kodiak	Alaska	100	9,547
13	Mekoryuk	Alaska	100	198
14	Mill Bay	Alaska	100	9,547
15	Nanwalek	Alaska	100	281
16	Nelson Lagoon	Alaska	100	60
17	Noatak	Alaska	100	485
18	Noorvik	Alaska	100	735
19	North Pole	Alaska	100	3,680
20	Pelican	Alaska	100	230
21	Petersburg	Alaska	100	3,218
22	Saint George	Alaska	100	65
23	Saint Paul	Alaska	100	380
24	Salcha	Alaska	100	500
25	Seldovia	Alaska	100	418

Rank	City	State	Score	People served
1	Berkeley	California	100	1,430,200
2	Oakland	California	100	1,430,200
3	Redwood City	California	100	124,490
4	Richmond	California	100	1,430,200
5	San Mateo	California	100	171,138
6	Cocoa	Florida	100	294,039
7	Bloomington	Indiana	100	104,073
8	Fort Wayne	Indiana	100	266,200
9	Gary	Indiana	100	188,380
10	Covington	Kentucky	100	199,460

Rank	City	State	Score	People served
1	Peoria	Illinois	53	136,678
2	Worcester	Massachusetts	55	262,212
3	Framingham	Massachusetts	55	153,042
4	Cedar Rapids	Iowa	59.1	183,699
5	Tyler	Texas	59.3	202,124
6	Camden	New Jersey	59.7	311,171
7	Toms River	New Jersey	60	123,984
8	Lowell	Massachusetts	60	259,493
9	Brockton	Massachusetts	60	161,840
10	Boise City	Idaho	60	271,500

Rank	City	State	Score	People served
1	National Park	New Jersey	44.2	1,603,144
2	Alpena	Michigan	48.7	44,741
3	Westville	New Jersey	49.3	1,628,000
4	Waldwick	New Jersey	50	10,208
5	Hopatcong	New Jersey	50	7,224
6	Boxford	Massachusetts	50	8,911
7	Rosewood Heights	Illinois	50	71,034
8	East Dubuque	Illinois	50	2,191
9	East Alton	Illinois	50	59,143
10	Sioux City	Iowa	50	85,797
11	West Peoria	Illinois	53	121,478
12	Rome	Illinois	53	121,478
13	Peoria	Illinois	53	136,678
14	Lake Camelot	Illinois	53	121,478
15	Bellevue	Illinois	53	121,478
16	Bartonville	Illinois	53	121,478
17	Upper Saddle River	New Jersey	53.2	807,920
18	Hohokus Boro	New Jersey	53.9	4,060
19	Ho-Ho-Kus	New Jersey	53.9	4,060
20	Troy Hills	New Jersey	54.2	50,400
21	Rainbow Lakes	New Jersey	54.2	50,400
22	Parsippany	New Jersey	54.2	50,640
23	Lake Hiawatha	New Jersey	54.2	50,400
24	Lake Mohawk	New Jersey	54.3	18,028
25	Roscoe	Illinois	54.3	35,801

State Water Quality Rankings 2026

Key Findings

What State Has the Cleanest Tap Water?

All States Ranked

Which Cities Have the Cleanest Tap Water in the US?

Water Quality Rankings for Major US Cities

Best Water Quality — Major Cities

Most Room for Improvement — Major Cities

States and Cities With the Worst Water Quality

Bottom 10 States

Bottom 25 Cities

Rankings Change. Stay Ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions About US Water Quality Rankings

What state has the cleanest tap water?

What state has the best water quality?

What city has the cleanest tap water?

Which states have the worst water quality?

How is water quality measured and ranked?

Is US tap water safe to drink?

What contaminants are found in US tap water?

How does my state's water compare?

Methodology

Data Sources

Scoring Criteria

Check Your City's Water Quality

Stay Informed About Your Water Quality