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Water Hardness in Massachusetts

Average: 23 PPMSoft404 cities525 water systems
State data profile

How to read the Massachusetts results

State pages are screening and comparison hubs. They summarize ZIP, city, and water-system patterns so you can find the local page that best matches your home or utility.

Direct or USGS-backed ZIPs
495 of 496
100% use treated-water records or USGS monitoring.
Estimated ZIP values
1 ZIPs
0% use nearby, county, or state-level fallback values.
Dataset update
March 9, 2026
Source coverage and rollups are rebuilt from the public dataset.

Use the source coverage below to judge how much local confirmation a specific city or ZIP needs. The methodology page explains the source hierarchy, weighting, and limitations.

State Average
23 PPM
Soft
Coverage
404 cities
525 water systems in the state rollup.

Data Source Coverage

ZIP-level source mix for Massachusetts; higher direct and USGS coverage means less reliance on regional estimates.

496 ZIPs covered
Verified treated water
Utility, CCR, or state treated-water records
75%
373 ZIPs
High-confidence USGS
Environmental monitoring matched to local systems
25%
122 ZIPs
Estimated
Nearby, county, or state-level fallback values
0%
1 ZIPs

In Massachusetts, 75% of ZIPs use verified treated-water records, 25% use high-confidence USGS monitoring, and 0% use estimates that should be confirmed locally for treatment decisions.

What the Data Shows in Massachusetts

Most classified ZIPs in Massachusetts are below the hard-water threshold, though local systems can still vary.

Massachusetts has unusually strong treated-water coverage: 75% of ZIPs use utility, CCR, or state treated-water records.

Use the city table below to compare local results. For estimated locations or unusually high readings, confirm with your utility or a home hardness test before sizing treatment equipment.

ZIP Hardness Distribution

Soft96% (474)
Slightly Hard4% (22)
Moderately Hard0% (0)
Hard0% (0)
Very Hard0% (0)

Treatment Takeaway

Hardness treatment is less likely to be needed statewide, but local water systems can still differ from the state pattern. Test first if you see scale or spotting.

How to Use This Data

The source coverage is relatively strong in Massachusetts, so these pages are useful for comparing local patterns before confirming your home's exact hardness.

Useful Massachusetts City Pages

Shortcuts to city pages backed by more ZIP-code or water-system data.

Cities With More Local Data

Newton
20 ZIPs · 49 systems
Soft (8 PPM)
Boston
11 ZIPs · 6 systems
Soft (8 PPM)
Springfield
10 ZIPs · 10 systems
Soft (25 PPM)
Worcester
9 ZIPs · 24 systems
Soft (25 PPM)
Cambridge
4 ZIPs · 30 systems
Soft (8 PPM)
Lowell
4 ZIPs · 25 systems
Soft (8 PPM)

Prioritize cities with multiple ZIPs and systems, then use source badges on each city page to separate verified treated-water records from estimates.

Top 10 Hardest Water Cities

#CityHardness
1South HadleySlightly Hard (69 PPM)
2HadleySlightly Hard (69 PPM)
3BelchertownSlightly Hard (69 PPM)
4SouthamptonSlightly Hard (68 PPM)
5GranbySlightly Hard (68 PPM)
6HuntingtonSlightly Hard (68 PPM)
7WareSlightly Hard (67 PPM)
8WorthingtonSlightly Hard (67 PPM)
9ChesterfieldSlightly Hard (67 PPM)
10CummingtonSlightly Hard (67 PPM)

Top 10 Softest Water Cities

#CityHardness
1DaltonSoft (6 PPM)
2LenoxSoft (6 PPM)
3Ashley FallsSoft (6 PPM)
4BecketSoft (6 PPM)
5East OtisSoft (6 PPM)
6HousatonicSoft (6 PPM)
7Lenox DaleSoft (6 PPM)
8PittsfieldSoft (6 PPM)
9RichmondSoft (6 PPM)
10SavoySoft (6 PPM)

All Cities in Massachusetts

City pages marked Estimated use fallback values and should be confirmed with local testing or utility data.

AbingtonSoftActonSoftAcushnetSoftAdamsSoftAgawamSoftAllstonSoftAmesburySoftAndoverSoftAshburnhamSoftAshbySoftAshfieldSoftAshlandSoftAshley FallsSoftAssonetSoftAttleboroSoftAuburnSoftAvonSoftAyerSoftBaldwinvilleSoftBarnstableSoftBarreSoftBass RiverSoftBecketSoftBedfordSoftBelchertownSlightly HardBellinghamSoftBerkleySoftBerlinSoftBeverlySoftBillericaSoftBlackstoneSoftBlandfordSoftBoltonSoftBostonSoftBoxboroSoftBoxfordSoftBoylstonSoftBradfordSoftBraintreeSoftBrewsterSoftBridgewaterSoftBrightonSoftBrimfieldSoftBrocktonSoftBrookfieldSoftBucklandSoftBurlingtonSoftByfieldSoftCambridgeSoftCantonSoftCarlisleSoftCarverSoftCataumetSoftCentervilleSoftCharlestownSoftCharltonSoftChelseaSoftCherry ValleySoftCheshireSoftChesterSoftChesterfieldSlightly HardChicopeeSoftChilmarkSoftClarksburgSoftClintonSoftCohassetSoftColrainSoftConcordSoftConwaySoftCotuitSoftCummingtonSlightly HardCushmanSlightly HardCuttyhunkSoftDaltonSoftDanversSoftDedhamSoftDeerfieldSoftDennisSoftDennis PortSoftDightonSoftDorchesterSoftDoverSoftDracutSoftDudleySoftDudley HillSoftDunstableSoftDuxburySoftEast BostonSoftEast BridgewaterSoftEast BrookfieldSoftEast CambridgeSoftEast DouglasSoftEast FreetownSoftEast LongmeadowSoftEast LynnSoftEast OtisSoftEast SandwichSoftEast TauntonSoftEast TempletonSoftEast WalpoleSoftEast WarehamSoftEasthamSoftEdgartownSoftErvingSoftEssexSoftEverettSoftFairhavenSoftFall RiverSoftFalmouthSoftFeeding HillsSoftFiskdaleSoftFitchburgSoftFlorenceSlightly HardForestdaleSoftFoxboroSoftFraminghamSoftFranklinSoftGardnerSoftGeorgetownSoftGilbertvilleSoftGloucesterSoftGoshenSlightly HardGraftonSoftGranbySlightly HardGranitevilleSoftGreat BarringtonSoftGrotonSoftGrovelandSoftHadleySlightly HardHalifaxSoftHampdenSoftHancockSoftHanoverSoftHanscom AfbSoftHansonSoftHardwickSoftHarvardSoftHarwichSoftHarwich PortSoftHatfieldSlightly HardHaverhillSoftHawleySoftHaydenvilleSlightly HardHeathSoftHinghamSoftHolbrookSoftHoldenSoftHollandSoftHollistonSoftHolyokeSoftHopedaleSoftHopkintonSoftHousatonicSoftHubbardstonSoftHudsonSoftHullSoftHuntingtonSlightly HardHyannis PortSoftHyde ParkSoftIndian OrchardSoftIpswichSoftJamaica PlainSoftJeffersonSoftKingstonSoftLakevilleSoftLancasterSoftLawrenceSoftLeeSoftLeedsSlightly HardLeicesterSoftLenoxSoftLenox DaleSoftLeominsterSoftLeverettSoftLeydenSoftLincolnSoftLittletonSoftLongmeadowSoftLowellSoftLudlowSoftLunenburgSoftLynnSoftLynnfieldSoftMaldenSoftManchesterSoftMansfieldSoftMarbleheadSoftMarionSoftMarlboroughSoftMarshfieldSoftMarstons MillsSoftMashpeeSoftMattapanSoftMattapoisettSoftMaynardSoftMedfieldSoftMedfordSoftMedwaySoftMelroseSoftMendonSoftMerrimacSoftMethuenSoftMiddleboroSoftMiddletonSoftMilfordSoftMill RiverSoftMillburySoftMillers FallsSoftMillisSoftMillvilleSoftMiltonSoftMonroeSoftMonsonSoftMontagueSoftMontgomerySoftMount TomSlightly HardNahantSoftNantucketSoftNatickSoftNew BedfordSoftNew BraintreeSoftNew SalemSoftNewburySoftNewburyportSoftNewtonSoftNorfolkSoftNorth AndoverSoftNorth AttleboroSoftNorth BillericaSoftNorth BrookfieldSoftNorth CambridgeSoftNorth ChathamSoftNorth ChelmsfordSoftNorth DartmouthSoftNorth DightonSoftNorth EastonSoftNorth FalmouthSoftNorth GraftonSoftNorth OxfordSoftNorth ReadingSoftNorth TruroSoftNorthboroughSoftNorthbridgeSoftNorthfieldSoftNortonSoftNorwellSoftNorwoodSoftOakhamSoftOnsetSoftOrleansSoftOstervilleSoftOtisSoftOtis A F BSoftOxfordSoftPadanaram VillagSoftPalmerSoftPaxtonSoftPeabodySoftPembrokeSoftPepperellSoftPeruSoftPetershamSoftPittsfieldSoftPlainfieldSlightly HardPlainvilleSoftPlymouthSoftPlymptonSoftPocassetSoftPrincetonSoftProvincetownSoftQuincySoftRandolphSoftRaynhamSoftReadingSoftRehobothSoftRevereSoftRichmondSoftRochdaleSoftRochesterSoftRocklandSoftRockportSoftRoslindaleSoftRoweSoftRowleySoftRoxburySoftRoyalstonSoftRussellSoftRutlandSoftSalemSoftSalisburySoftSandisfieldSoftSandwichSoftSaugusSoftSavoySoftScituateSoftSeekonkSoftSharonSoftSheffieldSoftShelburne FallsSoftSherbornSoftShirley CenterSoftShrewsburySoftShutesburySoftSomersetSoftSomervilleSoftSouth BostonSoftSouth CarverSoftSouth ChathamSoftSouth ChelmsfordSoftSouth DeerfieldSoftSouth DennisSoftSouth EastonSoftSouth EgremontSoftSouth GraftonSoftSouth HadleySlightly HardSouth HamiltonSoftSouth WalpoleSoftSouthamptonSlightly HardSouthboroughSoftSouthbridgeSoftSouthfieldSoftSouthwickSoftSpencerSoftSpringfieldSoftSterlingSoftStockbridgeSoftStonehamSoftStoughtonSoftStowSoftSturbridgeSoftSudburySoftSunderlandSoftSwampscottSoftSwanseaSoftTauntonSoftTeaticketSoftTempletonSoftTewksburySoftThree RiversSoftTollandSoftTopsfieldSoftTownsendSoftTruroSoftTurners FallsSoftTyngsboroSoftTyringhamSoftUxbridgeSoftVillage Of NagogSoftVineyard HavenSoftW HatfieldSlightly HardW TownsendSoftWakefieldSoftWalesSoftWalpoleSoftWareSlightly HardWarehamSoftWarrenSoftWarwickSoftWaylandSoftWellfleetSoftWendellSoftWendell DepotSoftWenhamSoftWest BarnstableSoftWest BoylstonSoftWest BridgewaterSoftWest BrookfieldSoftWest ChesterfielSlightly HardWest DennisSoftWest HarwichSoftWest HyannisportSoftWest LynnSoftWest NewburySoftWest OtisSoftWest RoxburySoftWest SpringfieldSoftWest StockbridgeSoftWest TisburySoftWest UptonSoftWest WarehamSoftWest WarrenSoftWest YarmouthSoftWestboroughSoftWestminsterSoftWestover AfbSoftWestportSoftWestwoodSoftWeymouthSoftWhitinsvilleSoftWhitmanSoftWilbrahamSoftWilkinsonvilleSoftWilliamsburgSlightly HardWilliamstownSoftWilmingtonSoftWinchendonSoftWinchesterSoftWinthropSoftWoburnSoftWoods HoleSoftWorcesterSoftWorthingtonSlightly HardWrenthamSoftYarmouth PortSoft