Which States Have the Best Tap Water? 2026 Ranking From EPA Records
46 states ranked by share of residents whose main water system has nothing above a federal limit, from public EPA records (EPA UCMR 5 (2024), Lead and Copper Rule and SDWIS violation records). It ranks the published record, not which water is safest.
Hawaii ranks first in 2026
Hawaii is first, at 100.0% (share of residents whose main water system has nothing above a federal limit). Arkansas (99.3%), Idaho (98.7%), Maryland (98.0%) and South Dakota (97.7%) follow. New Jersey (25.3%) and New York (26.3%) rank last.
All 46 ranked states
- 1Hawaii11 city reports · 1,135,844 residents11 of 11 cities with nothing above a federal limit100.0%
- 2Arkansas53 city reports · 1,889,708 residents52 of 53 cities with nothing above a federal limit99.3%
- 3Idaho21 city reports · 933,636 residents20 of 21 cities with nothing above a federal limit98.7%
- 4Maryland29 city reports · 5,007,705 residents25 of 29 cities with nothing above a federal limit98.0%
- 5South Dakota15 city reports · 493,791 residents14 of 15 cities with nothing above a federal limit97.7%
- 6Kansas30 city reports · 1,913,307 residents26 of 30 cities with nothing above a federal limit96.6%
- 7Nebraska15 city reports · 1,914,703 residents12 of 15 cities with nothing above a federal limit94.7%
- 8Montana10 city reports · 421,169 residents9 of 10 cities with nothing above a federal limit94.1%
- 9Wisconsin89 city reports · 3,133,268 residents83 of 89 cities with nothing above a federal limit93.4%
- 10Michigan131 city reports · 5,670,504 residents122 of 131 cities with nothing above a federal limit93.0%
- 11Colorado92 city reports · 6,124,189 residents85 of 92 cities with nothing above a federal limit92.5%
- 12Illinois193 city reports · 8,458,148 residents167 of 193 cities with nothing above a federal limit91.0%
- 13Missouri63 city reports · 2,651,334 residents60 of 63 cities with nothing above a federal limit89.4%
- 14Maine11 city reports · 336,148 residents9 of 11 cities with nothing above a federal limit89.2%
- 15Wyoming12 city reports · 312,023 residents10 of 12 cities with nothing above a federal limit88.8%
- 16Indiana71 city reports · 3,068,952 residents60 of 71 cities with nothing above a federal limit87.1%
- 17Tennessee143 city reports · 6,757,690 residents118 of 143 cities with nothing above a federal limit86.2%
- 18Minnesota93 city reports · 3,560,004 residents72 of 93 cities with nothing above a federal limit84.6%
- 19Oklahoma43 city reports · 2,259,532 residents35 of 43 cities with nothing above a federal limit84.4%
- 20Utah66 city reports · 3,031,369 residents60 of 66 cities with nothing above a federal limit83.6%
- 21Louisiana66 city reports · 3,237,742 residents52 of 66 cities with nothing above a federal limit83.2%
- 22Nevada12 city reports · 2,884,690 residents9 of 12 cities with nothing above a federal limit83.1%
- 23Georgia120 city reports · 9,130,206 residents90 of 120 cities with nothing above a federal limit82.3%
- 24Arizona36 city reports · 5,361,082 residents26 of 36 cities with nothing above a federal limit81.5%
- 25Mississippi44 city reports · 1,224,187 residents41 of 44 cities with nothing above a federal limit81.0%
- 26Kentucky75 city reports · 2,137,374 residents63 of 75 cities with nothing above a federal limit80.8%
- 27New Mexico28 city reports · 1,355,326 residents20 of 28 cities with nothing above a federal limit77.5%
- 28Iowa37 city reports · 1,617,170 residents31 of 37 cities with nothing above a federal limit75.4%
- 29Rhode Island13 city reports · 906,288 residents8 of 13 cities with nothing above a federal limit75.3%
- 30California341 city reports · 31,173,451 residents235 of 341 cities with nothing above a federal limit74.2%
- 31Washington115 city reports · 7,837,714 residents95 of 115 cities with nothing above a federal limit70.7%
- 32Oregon64 city reports · 3,080,962 residents56 of 64 cities with nothing above a federal limit69.2%
- 33West Virginia17 city reports · 415,486 residents10 of 17 cities with nothing above a federal limit67.9%
- 34Texas364 city reports · 24,865,160 residents290 of 364 cities with nothing above a federal limit67.4%
- 35Alabama128 city reports · 4,950,776 residents80 of 128 cities with nothing above a federal limit64.0%
- 36Virginia60 city reports · 6,195,141 residents51 of 60 cities with nothing above a federal limit62.4%
- 37Ohio115 city reports · 7,447,994 residents95 of 115 cities with nothing above a federal limit58.5%
- 38Massachusetts163 city reports · 6,450,355 residents89 of 163 cities with nothing above a federal limit56.3%
- 39North Carolina127 city reports · 7,595,492 residents68 of 127 cities with nothing above a federal limit51.1%
- 40Connecticut20 city reports · 1,512,168 residents9 of 20 cities with nothing above a federal limit49.6%
- 41Pennsylvania99 city reports · 5,796,840 residents62 of 99 cities with nothing above a federal limit49.5%
- 42New Hampshire16 city reports · 523,299 residents8 of 16 cities with nothing above a federal limit48.8%
- 43Florida180 city reports · 17,806,097 residents87 of 180 cities with nothing above a federal limit41.8%
- 44South Carolina71 city reports · 3,816,790 residents35 of 71 cities with nothing above a federal limit40.6%
- 45New York122 city reports · 13,699,395 residents97 of 122 cities with nothing above a federal limit26.3%
- 46New Jersey139 city reports · 4,903,513 residents49 of 139 cities with nothing above a federal limit25.3%
5 states excluded. States with fewer than 10 city reports on record are excluded rather than shown with an unstable percentage. Excluded states are not scored as favourable.
How this snapshot is built
- How this snapshot is built
For each state, PurityMap checks every city report on record: does the city's main water system have any regulated contaminant above its federal limit, the legal maximum (PFAS, or metals such as lead), or an open health-based violation? States are ordered by the share of residents in those cities whose system has neither, then by the share of cities. There is no state score: each city counts as a yes or no from its own EPA record, weighted by the people who live there.
- Reading the order
This covers the cities PurityMap has reports for, not every small system or private well in a state. One large city can move a state a long way, because the share is weighted by residents. A clear record means nothing measured was above a federal limit, not a guarantee about any tap; household plumbing can add lead after the water leaves the system.
- Exclusions
5 excluded. States with fewer than 10 city reports on record are excluded rather than shown with an unstable percentage.
Comparable does not mean complete.
This ranking compares states on one measure. It never replaces a full system report, a city-resolution check, or a certified household test, and missing monitoring is excluded, never scored as favourable.