The States With the Worst (And Best) Tap Water in America, Ranked

Personally, I don’t drink my tap water. That’s because I, like 70% of Americans, carry concerns about what’s actually in that water. And you know what? We’re not entirely crazy for being worried!

The CDC estimates that at least 1.1 million people in the U.S. get sick every year from germs in drinking water. This is about 1 in every 300 people, which is to say, a lot.

While water quality ultimately varies city by city, the most comprehensive data we have is tracked at the state level. Researchers at The Kitchn reviewed that data to determine which states, ranked in order, had the best and worst quality tap water.

The Methodology Behind The Research

To rank tap water quality across the U.S., researchers looked at three big things:

• Regulatory compliance (how often water systems violate safety rules)
• Oversight of public water systems (how closely they’re monitored)
• Contaminants detected (and whether they exceed health-based guidelines)

The data came from two reputable sources: the EPA’s Drinking Water Dashboard and the Environmental Working Group’s Tap Water Database. These metrics were weighted by public-health impact, standardized, and combined into a single score.

Important caveat: all public tap water in the U.S. meets federal safety standards. Lower rankings don’t mean “toxic sludge.” They simply mean more reason to test or filter, especially in certain cities.

The 10 States With The Best Tap Water

These states ranked highest overall, meaning cities within them tend to have fewer violations and cleaner baseline water:

1. South Carolina
2. Hawaii
3. Minnesota
4. North Dakota
5. Maryland
6. Alabama
7. Michigan
8. Wisconsin
9. South Dakota
10. New Hampshire

Cities in these states benefit from stronger infrastructure oversight and fewer contaminant issues. That doesn’t mean every faucet is perfect, but it luckily does mean residents are less likely to face chronic water quality concerns.

The 10 States With The Worst Tap Water

Now for the other end of the list: states where cities are more likely to face aging infrastructure, higher violation rates, and persistent contaminants.

1. North Carolina
2. Nevada
3. Wyoming
4. West Virginia
5. Delaware
6. Ohio
7. New York
8. Texas
9. Alaska
10. Louisiana & Oklahoma (tied)

Cities in these states often face a perfect storm of underfunded water systems and higher exposure to potential contaminants. Again, the water is legally safe, but that doesn’t mean residents aren’t buying water bottles and filters left and right.

This is also where water quality can vary wildly within the same metro area. One neighborhood’s water can be fine, while another’s raises red flags.

What This Means For You

Don’t start freaking out just because you live in a lower-ranked state. Even cities in top-ranked states can have localized issues, and cities in lower-ranked states can have excellent water.

The smartest move is to check your city’s Consumer Confidence Report, then test your own tap water if you’re concerned. Many contaminants can’t be seen, smelled, or tasted, which makes guessing… not a great strategy.

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