Hard Water Map

Virginia Water Hardness by County

Water in Virginia has a median hardness of 42 mg/L as CaCO₃ — "soft" on the USGS scale — based on 53,216 measurements at 5,085 monitoring stations. Bristol County has the state's hardest measured water (230 mg/L); Madison County the softest (11). Rank: #41 of the 50 states and D.C.

Virginia water hardness map — what the numbers mean. Data verified 2026-07-22.

Of Virginia's 116 measured counties, 8 very hard, 14 hard, 23 moderately hard, and 71 soft. The hardest are Bristol County (230 mg/L), Montgomery County (204.5), and Lexington County (200.5). Madison County is the softest at 11 mg/L (soft).

About 17% of Virginia's roughly 8.1 million residents in counties with gate-passing hardness data live where tap water is hard or worse.

Statewide, Virginia's median works out to 2.5 grains per gallon and ranks #41 of the 50 states and D.C. Across 53,216 measurements at 5,085 stations — 36,418 of them since 2000 — the middle 80% of readings fall between 15 and 181 mg/L. The public record runs from 1906 to 2026.

See where Virginia sits nationally on the national map, or what its number means on the hardness scale.

Download the Virginia water hardness map (PNG) — Water hardness by county in Virginia: 116 counties mapped from USGS/EPA data, statewide median 42 mg/L (soft); darker counties have harder water.

By county

Water hardness by county

The table lists all 116 measured Virginia counties, hardest first. Their medians span 230 mg/L in Bristol County to 11 in Madison County — a 20.9× range. 13 more Virginia counties lack gate-passing data.

County water hardness, hardest first — median mg/L as CaCO₃.
CountyMedianBandResultsSitesNewest
Bristol County230Very hard186132026
Montgomery County204.5Very hard412422026
Lexington County200.5Very hard3222017
Frederick County200Very hard243442026
Shenandoah County197Very hard1,095712026
Rockingham County196Very hard1,8381892026
Roanoke County195.5Very hard164162026
Virginia Beach County182Very hard255952023
Mathews County167Hard15132018
Dickenson County163Hard533682026
Wise County160Hard5021002026
Roanoke County154.5Hard134102018
Clarke County145.5Hard188372026
Russell County145Hard224402026
Washington County144Hard737272026
Tazewell County143Hard354322026
Scott County140Hard631522026
Augusta County136Hard566992026
Northampton County130Hard1581082025
Warren County130Hard1,477332026
Page County121Hard252492026
Wythe County120Hard429272026
Buchanan County115.5Moderately hard1,1142612026
Arlington County110Moderately hard77992026
Covington County107Moderately hard6732026
Botetourt County104Moderately hard767462026
Alexandria County103Moderately hard172102026
York County100.3Moderately hard1441012019
Lee County100Moderately hard359452026
Smyth County99Moderately hard599432026
Accomack County98Moderately hard156962026
Waynesboro County96.5Moderately hard27102013
Bland County91.4Moderately hard53142024
Rockbridge County90.5Moderately hard304512026
Buena Vista County90Moderately hard932022
Gloucester County83Moderately hard89372021
Norfolk County79Moderately hard1442010
Alleghany County78Moderately hard850392026
Radford County75.2Moderately hard9842026
Bath County74.1Moderately hard173292026
Amherst County71.5Moderately hard608312026
Highland County67Moderately hard49162022
Fairfax County65.6Moderately hard2,5291932026
Giles County64Moderately hard974342020
Loudoun County63Moderately hard689782026
Lynchburg County59Soft2632003
Bedford County57Soft546602026
Goochland County57Soft1,026202026
Richmond County57Soft538152026
Henrico County48Soft1,009652026
Prince George County47.6Soft415262026
Chesapeake County46.8Soft136552026
Craig County42.7Soft79192026
Pulaski County42Soft616292026
Surry County39Soft262512026
Halifax County38Soft1,447382026
Franklin County35Soft3572022
Mecklenburg County33.7Soft533272026
Isle of Wight County33Soft225542026
James City County33Soft4831352026
Lunenburg County33Soft240122026
Prince William County32.7Soft1,1711832026
Amelia County32Soft381252026
Cumberland County32Soft533122026
Nottoway County32Soft8182014
Orange County32Soft249312026
Charlotte County31Soft373182026
Pittsylvania County30.9Soft972592026
Prince Edward County30.9Soft220132026
Lancaster County30.8Soft114282006
Campbell County30.2Soft389252020
King and Queen County30Soft287222023
Petersburg County30Soft14062026
Southampton County29.8Soft695572026
Westmoreland County29.5Soft164482026
King George County29Soft415782026
Stafford County29Soft688402026
Charles City County28.5Soft392432026
Franklin County28Soft1,002592026
Fauquier County27Soft719572026
New Kent County27Soft825762023
Powhatan County27Soft255172026
Albemarle County26.2Soft452662026
Chesterfield County26Soft1,029652026
Middlesex County25.3Soft281222026
Fluvanna County25Soft434242026
Sussex County25Soft506632026
Richmond County24.6Soft320282026
Brunswick County24.2Soft545312026
Northumberland County24.2Soft105492018
Dinwiddie County24Soft313242026
Essex County24Soft445282026
Floyd County24Soft81302026
Spotsylvania County24Soft699242026
Colonial Heights County24Soft4952007
Hanover County23.8Soft1,963752026
Danville County23Soft12062026
Emporia County23Soft47532026
Newport News County23Soft151262026
Greensville County22.9Soft92152007
Henry County22.5Soft429252026
Culpeper County22Soft966502026
Louisa County22Soft417522026
Caroline County21Soft869642026
Buckingham County20Soft386222026
Rappahannock County20Soft285362026
Nelson County19Soft357402026
King William County18Soft923802026
Appomattox County17Soft190212026
Patrick County17Soft254192026
Suffolk County16.9Soft3211182026
Williamsburg County16.5Soft1462019
Carroll County15.1Soft47182014
Grayson County15Soft498182026
Greene County13Soft116232026
Madison County11Soft287392026

ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Virginia

The ZIP codes below are grouped by the Virginia county they fall in. Each ZIP takes its county's measured median — shown in the group header — so this is a ZIP-to-county guide, not a separate reading for every ZIP. To check the water system serving a specific address, use the lookup.

Bristol County · 230 mg/L · Very hard

24201

Montgomery County · 204.5 mg/L · Very hard

24060240612407324087†24138†24149†24162†

Frederick County · 200 mg/L · Very hard

22602†22603†22624†22625†22637†22645†22654†2265522656†

Shenandoah County · 197 mg/L · Very hard

22641†22644†22652†22657†22660†22664†22810†22824†22842†22844†22845†22847†

Rockingham County · 196 mg/L · Very hard

22801†22802†22811†22812†22815†22820†22821†22827†22830†22831†22832†22834†22840†22841†22846†22850†22853†24471†

Roanoke County · 195.5 mg/L · Very hard

24014†240182401924020†24059†24070†24153

Virginia Beach County · 182 mg/L · Very hard

23451234522345323454234552345623457†2345923460234612346223464

Mathews County · 167 mg/L · Hard

23021†23025†23035†23045†23050†23056†23066†23068†23076†23109†23119†23128†23130†23138†23163†

Dickenson County · 163 mg/L · Hard

24217†24220†24226†24228†24237†24256†24269†24272†

Wise County · 160 mg/L · Hard

24216†24219†24230†2424624273†24279†24283†24293

Roanoke County · 154.5 mg/L · Hard

24011240122401324015240162401724022

Clarke County · 145.5 mg/L · Hard

20130†20135†2261122620†22646†22663†

Russell County · 145 mg/L · Hard

24224†24225†24260†24266†24280†24649†

Washington County · 144 mg/L · Hard

24202†24210†24211†24236†24270†2432724340†24361

Tazewell County · 143 mg/L · Hard

24316†24377†24601†24602†24604†24605†24606†2460924612†24613†24630†24635†24637†24641†24651†

Scott County · 140 mg/L · Hard

2424424245†24250†24251†24258†2427124290

Augusta County · 136 mg/L · Hard

22843†2293922952†22980†2440124411†24421†24430†24431†24432†24437†24440†24441†24459†2446724469†24476†2447724479†2448224485†24486†

Northampton County · 130 mg/L · Hard

23307†23310†23316†23347†23350†23354†23398†23405†23408†23413†23486†

Warren County · 130 mg/L · Hard

22610†22630†22642†

Page County · 121 mg/L · Hard

22650†2283522849†22851†

Wythe County · 120 mg/L · Hard

24313†24322†24323†24350†24360†2436824374†24382

Buchanan County · 115.5 mg/L · Moderately hard

24239†24603†24607†24614†24620†24622†24631†24634†24639†24646†24656†24657†

Arlington County · 110 mg/L · Moderately hard

2220122202222032220422205222062220722209222112221322214†

Botetourt County · 104 mg/L · Moderately hard

24066240772408324085†24090†24175†

Alexandria County · 103 mg/L · Moderately hard

223012230222304223052231122314

York County · 100.3 mg/L · Moderately hard

23690†23691236922369323696

Lee County · 100 mg/L · Moderately hard

24221†24243†24248†24263†24265†24277†24281†24282†

Smyth County · 99 mg/L · Moderately hard

243112431924354†24370†24375†

Accomack County · 98 mg/L · Moderately hard

23301†23302†2330323306†23308†23336†23337†23356†23357†23358†23359†23389†23395†23401†23407†23409†23410†23414†23415†23416†23417†23418†23420†23421†23422†23423†23426†23427†23440†23441†23442†23480†23488†

Bland County · 91.4 mg/L · Moderately hard

24314†24315†24318†24366†

Rockbridge County · 90.5 mg/L · Moderately hard

24415†2441624435†24439†24450†24472†24473†24483†24555†24578†24579†

Gloucester County · 83 mg/L · Moderately hard

23061†23062†23072†

Norfolk County · 79 mg/L · Moderately hard

2350223503235042350523507235082350923510235112351323517235182352323551

Alleghany County · 78 mg/L · Moderately hard

24422†24426†244482445724474

Radford County · 75.2 mg/L · Moderately hard

24142

Bath County · 74.1 mg/L · Moderately hard

24412†24445†24460†24484†

Amherst County · 71.5 mg/L · Moderately hard

24521†2457224574†24595†

Highland County · 67 mg/L · Moderately hard

24413†24433†24442†24458†24465†24487†

Fairfax County · 65.6 mg/L · Moderately hard

201202012120124†20151†20170†2017120190201912019422003220152202722030†2203122032220332203522039†220412204222043220442206022066†22079221012210222124221502215122152221532218022181221822230322306223072230822309223102231222315

Giles County · 64 mg/L · Moderately hard

24086†24093†24124†24128†24134†2413624147†24150†24167†

Loudoun County · 63 mg/L · Moderately hard

20105†20117†20129†20132†201412014720148201522015820164201652016620175†20176†2018020184†20197†

Lynchburg County · 59 mg/L · Soft

2450224515†

Bedford County · 57 mg/L · Soft

24064†24095†24104†24121†24122†24174†24179†245032452324526†24536†24551†24556†24570†

Goochland County · 57 mg/L · Soft

23038†23039†23063†23065†23102†23103†23129†23153†23238

Richmond County · 57 mg/L · Soft

231732321923220232212322423225232262328423298

Henrico County · 48 mg/L · Soft

23060230752315023222232232322723228232292323023231232332325023294

Prince George County · 47.6 mg/L · Soft

2380123805†23842†23860†23875†

Chesapeake County · 46.8 mg/L · Soft

233202332123322†23323†2332423325

Craig County · 42.7 mg/L · Soft

24127†24131†

Pulaski County · 42 mg/L · Soft

24058†24084†2412924132†2414124301†24324†24347†

Surry County · 39 mg/L · Soft

23839†23846†23881†23883†23899

Halifax County · 38 mg/L · Soft

24520†24534†24539†24558†24577†24589†24592†24594†24597†24598†

Mecklenburg County · 33.7 mg/L · Soft

23915†23917†2391923924†23927†23950†23968†23970†24529†24580†

Isle of Wight County · 33 mg/L · Soft

2330423314†23315†23430†23487†23898†

James City County · 33 mg/L · Soft

23081†23168†23185†23188

Lunenburg County · 33 mg/L · Soft

23944†23947†23952†23974†

Prince William County · 32.7 mg/L · Soft

2010920111†201122013620143†2015520169†20181†22025†220262212522172†221912219222193

Amelia County · 32 mg/L · Soft

23002†23083†

Cumberland County · 32 mg/L · Soft

23027†23040†23901†

Nottoway County · 32 mg/L · Soft

23824†23922†23930†23955†

Orange County · 32 mg/L · Soft

22433†22508†22542†22567†22957†22960†22972†

Charlotte County · 31 mg/L · Soft

23923†23937†23959†23962†23963†23964†23967†23976†

Pittsylvania County · 30.9 mg/L · Soft

24069†24139†24161†24527†24530†24531†24540†24541†24549†24557†24563†24565†24566†24569†24586†

Prince Edward County · 30.9 mg/L · Soft

2390923934†23942†2394323954†23960†23966†

Lancaster County · 30.8 mg/L · Soft

2248022503†22576†22578†

Campbell County · 30.2 mg/L · Soft

24501†24504†24517†24528†24538†24550†24554†24571†24588†

King and Queen County · 30 mg/L · Soft

22437†23023†23085†23091†23108†23110†23126†23148†23156†23161†23177†

Southampton County · 29.8 mg/L · Soft

23827†23828†23829†23837†23844†23851†23866†23874†23878†

Westmoreland County · 29.5 mg/L · Soft

22443†22469†22488†22520†22529†

King George County · 29 mg/L · Soft

22448†22485†

Stafford County · 29 mg/L · Soft

221342240522406†2255422556†

Charles City County · 28.5 mg/L · Soft

23030†23147†

Franklin County · 28 mg/L · Soft

24065†24067†24088†24092†24101†24102†24137†24151†24176†24184†

Fauquier County · 27 mg/L · Soft

20115†20119†20137†20144†2018620187†20198†22639†22643†22712†22720†22728†2273422742†

New Kent County · 27 mg/L · Soft

23011†23089†2312423140†23141†

Powhatan County · 27 mg/L · Soft

23139†23160†

Albemarle County · 26.2 mg/L · Soft

22901†22902†22903†2290422911†22923†22931†22932†22936†22937†22940†22943†22946†22947†22959†

Chesterfield County · 26 mg/L · Soft

2311223113†2311423120†232342323523236232372383123832†23834†2383623838

Middlesex County · 25.3 mg/L · Soft

23032†23043†23070†23071†23079†23092†23149†23169†23175†23176†23180†

Fluvanna County · 25 mg/L · Soft

22963†22974†23022†23055†23084†

Sussex County · 25 mg/L · Soft

23867†23882†23884†23888†23890†23891†23897†

Richmond County · 24.6 mg/L · Soft

224602247222548†22572†

Brunswick County · 24.2 mg/L · Soft

23821†23843†23845†23856†23857†23868†23876†23887†23889†23893†23920†23938†

Northumberland County · 24.2 mg/L · Soft

22432†22435†22473†22482†22511†22539†

Dinwiddie County · 24 mg/L · Soft

2380323830†23833†23840†23841†23850†2387223885†23894†

Essex County · 24 mg/L · Soft

22436†22438†22454†22476†22504†22509†22560†

Floyd County · 24 mg/L · Soft

24072†24079†24091†24105†24380†

Spotsylvania County · 24 mg/L · Soft

224072240822534†22551†22553†

Hanover County · 23.8 mg/L · Soft

2300523015†23047†23059†23069†231112311623146†23192†

Newport News County · 23 mg/L · Soft

236012360223603†23604†23605236062360723608

Greensville County · 22.9 mg/L · Soft

2384723870†23879†

Henry County · 22.5 mg/L · Soft

24054†240552407824089†2411224148†24165†24168†

Culpeper County · 22 mg/L · Soft

22701†22713†22714†22718†22724†22726†22729†22733†22736†22737†22741†22746†

Louisa County · 22 mg/L · Soft

22942†23024†23093†23117†

Caroline County · 21 mg/L · Soft

22427†22514†22535†22538†22546†22580†

Buckingham County · 20 mg/L · Soft

23004†23123†23921†23936†24553†24562†24590†24599†

Rappahannock County · 20 mg/L · Soft

20106†22623†22627†22640†22716†22740†22747†22749†

Nelson County · 19 mg/L · Soft

22920†22922†22938†22949†22958†22964†22967†2296922971†22976†24464†24581†

King William County · 18 mg/L · Soft

23009†23086†2310623181†

Appomattox County · 17 mg/L · Soft

23958†24522†24593†

Patrick County · 17 mg/L · Soft

24053†24076†24082†24120†24133†24171†24185†

Suffolk County · 16.9 mg/L · Soft

23432†2343323434†234352343623437†23438†

Carroll County · 15.1 mg/L · Soft

24312†24317†24325†24328†24343†24351†24352†24381†

Grayson County · 15 mg/L · Soft

24292†24326†24330†24333†24348†24363†24378†

Greene County · 13 mg/L · Soft

22935†22968†22973†

Madison County · 11 mg/L · Soft

22709†22711†22715†22719†22722†22723†22725†22727†22730†22731†22732†22735†22738†22743†22948†22989†

† 654 ZIP codes are not served by a mapped community water system — most are private-well areas. See well water hardness.

Check any ZIP's utility and hardness →

Source

Groundwater vs surface water

Virginia's groundwater measures harder than its surface water — 67.4 mg/L across 3,129 samples versus 41.5 across 49,804, about 1.6× harder. Wells draw from groundwater, so well owners in Virginia tend to see the harder number — 67.4 mg/L, moderately hard. Groundwater readings there run 6 to 262 mg/L across the middle 80% of samples. The comparison draws on 1,907 groundwater and 3,029 surface-water monitoring sites; 131 readings above 2,000 mg/L were logged but held out of the medians as outliers.

Groundwater (wells)

67.4 mg/L as CaCO₃ · 3,129 results at 1,907 stations.

Surface water (rivers, lakes)

41.5 mg/L as CaCO₃ · 49,804 results at 3,029 stations.

Groundwater measures about 1.6× harder than surface water here.

Chemistry

Water chemistry in Virginia

Beyond the hardness number, Virginia's water carries a fuller chemical signature — here is how its measured parameters compare to national benchmarks.

TDS

182 mg/L · n=4,250

182 mg/L — below the national county median of 226.

pH

7.3 pH · n=111,511

pH 7.3 — within the EPA secondary range of 6.5–8.5, on the alkaline side.

Alkalinity

56.2 mg/L as CaCO3 · n=13,658

56.2 mg/L — modest buffering capacity.

Calcium : Magnesium

14.4 : 5.2 mg/L ≈ 2.77 : 1 · n=11,686

Calcium is about 63% of Virginia's hardness (14.4 mg/L Ca to 5.2 mg/L Mg), a little more magnesium-rich than the national ~68% calcium share.

Parameter medians may include a small share of quality-control samples; the hardness lane is fully QC-filtered.

Aquifers

Major aquifers under Virginia

3 aquifer systems supply much of Virginia's measured groundwater.

  • Early Mesozoic basin aquifers — median 209.5 mg/L across 26 samples at 18 sites: very hard.
  • Valley and Ridge aquifers — median 202 mg/L across 298 samples at 93 sites: very hard.
  • Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system — median 90 mg/L across 832 samples at 353 sites: moderately hard.

Together these systems account for 1,156 measured samples at 464 sites. Aquifer medians pool samples across a whole system and can mask local variation — see the national aquifer map for how these compare across states.

Trend

Hardness over time

1920s2020s56

Virginia's decade median moved from 40.5 mg/L in the 1920s to 37 in the 2020s. Over the series, the decade median peaked at 56 mg/L in the 1950s and bottomed at 30 in the 1930s. Decade medians reflect where and what agencies sampled in each era, not just changes in the water itself.

Scale

Where Virginia sits on the scale

On the USGS scale, Virginia's 42 mg/L is soft — 2.5 grains per gallon, below the 60 mg/L soft cutoff — among the softest water measured in the US.

SoftModerately hardHardVery hard60 · 3.5 gpg120 · 7.0 gpg180 · 10.5 gpg42 mg/L — Soft
Harder than 23% of the 2,977 measured county medians.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is Virginia's water hard?
Virginia's median hardness is 42 mg/L as CaCO₃, "soft" on the USGS scale and below the national county median of 140 mg/L.
Which county in Virginia has the hardest water?
Bristol County, with a median of 230 mg/L as CaCO₃ across 186 measurements.
Is well water harder than city water in Virginia?
Groundwater measures harder here — about 1.6× the surface water — so wells tend to run harder (groundwater 67.4 vs surface water 41.5 mg/L).
How do I find my exact hardness in Virginia?
Search your ZIP on the lookup tool, read your utility's Consumer Confidence Report, or test at home with a kit.
Is Virginia's water harder than the national average?
No. Virginia's median of 42 mg/L is below the national county median of 140 mg/L; it ranks #41 of the 50 states and D.C.

Compare

States with similar hardness

Two states measure closest to Virginia's 42 mg/L: Connecticut at 42.9 mg/L and Massachusetts at 43.7 mg/L. Virginia measures harder than 20% of states. Browse the full ranking on the statistics page.

More: hardness scale · check your address · national statistics · the national map.

By . Source: USGS/EPA Water Quality Portal — 53,216 Virginia measurements. Data last verified . Methodology.

Cite this page: “Virginia Water Hardness by County.” Hard Water Map. Retrieved 2026-07-22, https://hardwatermap.com/water-hardness/virginia/