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Pick two cities and see their tap water head to head: A–F safety grades, every contaminant detected as a percent of its EPA limit, violation history, and a verdict on which city has safer water. Free, no signup — all figures from EPA SDWIS data.
206 city vs city comparisons across 33 states
Spotted a contaminant gap between two cities? Our guide to which water filter removes what shows how to close it, and if lead is the difference, start with the lead in tap water guide.
Choose any two cities from the 206 comparisons below (or browse by state) to see both cities' A–F grades, each detected contaminant as a percent of its EPA limit, EPA violation records, and which city comes out ahead in every category — all from EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) data.
On EPA records the cities with the best water quality include Los Angeles, CA (100/100); San Diego, CA (100/100); Seattle, WA (100/100); Lawrenceville, GA (100/100); Pittsburgh, PA (100/100) — all Grade A with no health-based EPA violations in five years, low lead 90th-percentile results and no PFAS above federal limits. At the other end, Lauderhill, FL (F, 21/100); Syracuse, NY (F, 29/100); Valdosta, GA (F, 33/100); Dania Beach, FL (F, 34/100); Hallandale Beach, FL (F, 34/100) grade lowest. Our Best Water Quality ranking has the full top 50; pick any two cities below to compare them directly.
Pick any two US cities and our comparison shows their water side-by-side: overall A–F safety grades, detected contaminant levels as a percent of EPA limits, EPA violation history, infrastructure age, and which city has better water in each category. There are 206 city vs city comparisons covering 33 states, and all figures come from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS).
Each city starts at 100 and loses points for real EPA findings about its water system: health-based violations in the last five years (SDWIS), its latest Lead and Copper Rule 90th-percentile result, PFAS detected in EPA’s 2023–2026 UCMR5 monitoring, and 2012–2019 compliance samples that averaged near or above a limit. Letters follow fixed bands: A ≥90, B ≥80, C ≥70, D ≥60, F below 60. Cities we cannot match to an EPA system are not graded.
State rankings average the EPA-based score of every graded city in the state. The Water Quality Ranking by State page lists all states graded A–F with the best and worst named, and each state hub ranks its own cities best to worst.
Yes. Each comparison highlights the specific contaminants detected in each city, so you can match a filter to the actual problem — for example reverse osmosis for arsenic, fluoride, or PFAS, or an activated-carbon pitcher for chlorine taste and odor. Our Water Filter Guide pairs the most common contaminants with proven filtration methods.
Compare water quality between the largest US cities
Compare water quality between cities in the same state
Compare water quality between neighboring cities and regions
Comparisons here use utility-reported EPA data. Once you've moved, a home test kit confirms what's actually coming out of your new tap — and a filter matched to those results is the part of the difference you can control.
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Common relocation routes - compare water quality before you move
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Our water quality comparison tool lets you see side-by-side differences between any two US cities. Each comparison includes:
All data is sourced from the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and updated quarterly.
Whether you're considering a move, curious about how your city stacks up, or want to make informed decisions about water filtration, our comparison tool gives you objective, data-driven insights. Understanding water quality differences can help you: