State water index

Oregon water hardness

Search 21 indexed communities and 56 ZIP profiles, then compare the underlying utility, source, distance, and reporting context.

Median indexed hardness

29PPM

Soft

Indexed range 15.7–78.9 PPM

ZIP profiles: 56
Cities: 21
Matched utilities: 21
Counties: 16

Understanding Oregon

Why local comparisons matter here

Oregon's west-side communities often use Cascade and Coast Range surface waters, while central and eastern areas include volcanic and basin groundwater systems.

In this index, soft is the largest category, covering 54 of 56 profiles with hardness data. The state median is 29 PPM, but the full indexed range is 15.7–78.9 PPM.

State distribution

Hardness across indexed ZIPs

Counts describe published ZIP profiles, not a population-weighted statewide sample.

Soft · 0–60 PPM54

Moderately hard · 61–120 PPM2

Hard · 121–180 PPM0

Very hard · 181+ PPM0

Evidence coverage

What the current records support

Hardness estimate: 100%
Lead 90th percentile: 100%
Copper 90th percentile: 57%

Low-confidence hardness profiles

Nearest site more than 25 miles away

Reported source water

Utility source mix

Surface water: 13
Groundwater: 8

Highest medians

Hardest indexed cities

Lowest medians

Softest indexed cities

1. Sunriver16 PPM
2. Eugene19 PPM
3. Glide24 PPM
4. Toledo27 PPM
5. Stayton27 PPM

City directory

Explore Oregon by city

Search by city or county, then sort by name, hardness, or ZIP coverage.

21 cities · 56 ZIP profiles

Search city or county

County

Sort by

21 cities found

Ashland

Jackson County · 1 ZIP

40PPM

County	Median	Range	ZIP profiles
Union County	79 PPM	78.9–78.9	1
Harney County	63 PPM	63.4–63.4	1
Klamath County	51 PPM	50.6–50.6	1
Jackson County	40 PPM	39.6–40.2	3
Clatsop County	37 PPM	37.2–37.2	1
Columbia County	35 PPM	35.3–35.3	1
Deschutes County	34 PPM	15.7–52	2
Washington County	30 PPM	29.6–29.6	2
Clackamas County	29 PPM	28.8–28.8	2
Yamhill County	29 PPM	28.8–28.8	1
Multnomah County	29 PPM	28.8–29.2	29
Marion County	27 PPM	26.9–26.9	2

Why local comparisons matter here

Hardness across indexed ZIPs

What the current records support

Utility source mix

Hardest indexed cities

Softest indexed cities

Explore Oregon by city

Ashland

Banks

Elgin

Eugene

Gervais

Glide

Hines

Independence

Klamath Falls

Lake Oswego

Mcminnville

Medford

North Plains

Portland

Rainier

Redmond

Rickreall

Seaside

Stayton

Sunriver

Toledo

Highest indexed county medians