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Best for Water Quality

Cleanest drinking water per EPA SDWIS — fewest violations, highest safety scores.

Top 100 Cities

  1. #1
    B

    Charleston, SC

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 71

  2. #2
    C

    Dallas, TX

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 65

  3. #3
    B

    Frisco, TX

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 74

  4. #4
    B

    Greenville, SC

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 71

  5. #5
    B

    Kenosha, WI

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 71

  6. #6
    C

    Lincoln, NE

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 68

  7. #7
    C

    Montgomery, AL

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 67

  8. #8
    B

    San Jose, CA

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 78

  9. #9
    C

    Bellevue, WA

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 68

  10. #10
    B

    Charlotte, NC

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 73

  11. #11
    B

    Chattanooga, TN

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 77

  12. #12
    A

    Cincinnati, OH

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 81

  13. #13
    C

    Clarksville, TN

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 63

  14. #14
    C

    Concord, CA

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 69

  15. #15
    A

    Fayetteville, AR

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 80

  16. #16
    B

    Fremont, CA

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 77

  17. #17
    B

    Grand Rapids, MI

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 74

  18. #18
    C

    Henderson, NV

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 69

  19. #19
    C

    Huntsville, AL

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 66

  20. #20
    C

    Lafayette, LA

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 66

  21. #21
    B

    Little Rock, AR

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 74

  22. #22
    B

    Marietta, GA

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 75

  23. #23
    B

    Memphis, TN

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 71

  24. #24
    C

    Newport News, VA

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 63

  25. #25
    B

    North Las Vegas, NV

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 72

  26. #26
    B

    Oakland, CA

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 71

  27. #27
    B

    Oklahoma City, OK

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 73

  28. #28
    B

    Plano, TX

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 77

  29. #29
    B

    Reno, NV

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 78

  30. #30
    B

    Virginia Beach, VA

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 72

  31. #31
    A

    Aurora, IL

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 82

  32. #32
    B

    Davenport, IA

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 70

  33. #33
    A

    Delaware, OH

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 87

  34. #34
    B

    Eugene, OR

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 72

  35. #35
    A

    Grand Island, NE

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 81

  36. #36
    C

    Gulfport, MS

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 69

  37. #37
    B

    Louisville, KY

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 70

  38. #38
    A

    Rochester, MN

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 92

  39. #39
    A

    Rogers, AR

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 82

  40. #40
    C

    South Bend, IN

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 69

  41. #41
    B

    Springdale, AR

    Best for Water Quality score 100 · MoveScore 70

  42. #42
    B

    Milwaukee, WI

    Best for Water Quality score 97 · MoveScore 75

  43. #43
    C

    Tallahassee, FL

    Best for Water Quality score 97 · MoveScore 67

  44. #44
    C

    Worcester, MA

    Best for Water Quality score 97 · MoveScore 68

  45. #45
    B

    Baton Rouge, LA

    Best for Water Quality score 97 · MoveScore 76

  46. #46
    B

    Racine, WI

    Best for Water Quality score 97 · MoveScore 73

  47. #47
    B

    Hartford, CT

    Best for Water Quality score 95 · MoveScore 74

  48. #48
    C

    Fresno, CA

    Best for Water Quality score 94 · MoveScore 61

  49. #49
    C

    Albuquerque, NM

    Best for Water Quality score 94 · MoveScore 69

  50. #50
    C

    Evansville, IN

    Best for Water Quality score 94 · MoveScore 68

  51. #51
    C

    Decatur, GA

    Best for Water Quality score 94 · MoveScore 68

  52. #52
    B

    Detroit, MI

    Best for Water Quality score 94 · MoveScore 70

  53. #53
    B

    Lexington, KY

    Best for Water Quality score 94 · MoveScore 74

  54. #54
    B

    Wichita, KS

    Best for Water Quality score 93 · MoveScore 76

  55. #55
    C

    Everett, WA

    Best for Water Quality score 91 · MoveScore 67

  56. #56
    B

    Minneapolis, MN

    Best for Water Quality score 91 · MoveScore 76

  57. #57
    B

    Cambridge, MA

    Best for Water Quality score 91 · MoveScore 76

  58. #58
    B

    Kansas City, KS

    Best for Water Quality score 91 · MoveScore 74

  59. #59
    B

    Ann Arbor, MI

    Best for Water Quality score 89 · MoveScore 70

  60. #60
    C

    Jacksonville, FL

    Best for Water Quality score 89 · MoveScore 63

  61. #61
    B

    Aurora, CO

    Best for Water Quality score 88 · MoveScore 76

  62. #62
    B

    Columbia, MO

    Best for Water Quality score 88 · MoveScore 70

  63. #63
    C

    Knoxville, TN

    Best for Water Quality score 88 · MoveScore 68

  64. #64
    B

    Naperville, IL

    Best for Water Quality score 88 · MoveScore 71

  65. #65
    C

    Southaven, MS

    Best for Water Quality score 88 · MoveScore 63

  66. #66
    B

    Boston, MA

    Best for Water Quality score 87 · MoveScore 72

  67. #67
    C

    Buffalo, NY

    Best for Water Quality score 87 · MoveScore 60

  68. #68
    A

    Madison, WI

    Best for Water Quality score 87 · MoveScore 80

  69. #69
    C

    Indianapolis, IN

    Best for Water Quality score 87 · MoveScore 69

  70. #70
    B

    Springfield, MO

    Best for Water Quality score 86 · MoveScore 70

  71. #71
    C

    Bowling Green, KY

    Best for Water Quality score 86 · MoveScore 69

  72. #72
    C

    Colorado Springs, CO

    Best for Water Quality score 85 · MoveScore 68

  73. #73
    B

    Birmingham, AL

    Best for Water Quality score 85 · MoveScore 70

  74. #74
    C

    Salem, OR

    Best for Water Quality score 85 · MoveScore 64

  75. #75
    B

    Medford, OR

    Best for Water Quality score 83 · MoveScore 74

  76. #76
    B

    Broken Arrow, OK

    Best for Water Quality score 82 · MoveScore 75

  77. #77
    C

    Cedar Rapids, IA

    Best for Water Quality score 82 · MoveScore 63

  78. #78
    D

    Lansing, MI

    Best for Water Quality score 82 · MoveScore 59

  79. #79
    B

    Pensacola, FL

    Best for Water Quality score 82 · MoveScore 70

  80. #80
    B

    Alpharetta, GA

    Best for Water Quality score 82 · MoveScore 77

  81. #81
    B

    Nashville, TN

    Best for Water Quality score 82 · MoveScore 75

  82. #82
    B

    Omaha, NE

    Best for Water Quality score 81 · MoveScore 79

  83. #83
    C

    Las Vegas, NV

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 69

  84. #84
    C

    New Haven, CT

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 64

  85. #85
    C

    San Antonio, TX

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 69

  86. #86
    C

    Tucson, AZ

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 64

  87. #87
    C

    Tulsa, OK

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 68

  88. #88
    C

    Garland, TX

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 68

  89. #89
    A

    Green Bay, WI

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 80

  90. #90
    A

    Provo, UT

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 83

  91. #91
    B

    Raleigh, NC

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 74

  92. #92
    D

    Rochester, NY

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 58

  93. #93
    C

    West Jordan, UT

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 63

  94. #94
    B

    Westminster, CO

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 72

  95. #95
    C

    Carson City, NV

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 68

  96. #96
    C

    Columbia, MD

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 63

  97. #97
    C

    Lawton, OK

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 64

  98. #98
    A

    Olathe, KS

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 81

  99. #99
    B

    St Louis, MO

    Best for Water Quality score 80 · MoveScore 70

  100. #100
    D

    Charleston, WV

    Best for Water Quality score 79 · MoveScore 51

Browse by State

Best for Water Quality ranked within each state.

Water Quality in AlabamaWater Quality in AlaskaWater Quality in ArizonaWater Quality in ArkansasWater Quality in CaliforniaWater Quality in ColoradoWater Quality in ConnecticutWater Quality in District of ColumbiaWater Quality in FloridaWater Quality in GeorgiaWater Quality in HawaiiWater Quality in IdahoWater Quality in IllinoisWater Quality in IndianaWater Quality in IowaWater Quality in KansasWater Quality in KentuckyWater Quality in LouisianaWater Quality in MarylandWater Quality in MassachusettsWater Quality in MichiganWater Quality in MinnesotaWater Quality in MississippiWater Quality in MissouriWater Quality in MontanaWater Quality in NebraskaWater Quality in NevadaWater Quality in New HampshireWater Quality in New JerseyWater Quality in New MexicoWater Quality in New YorkWater Quality in North CarolinaWater Quality in North DakotaWater Quality in OhioWater Quality in OklahomaWater Quality in OregonWater Quality in PennsylvaniaWater Quality in Rhode IslandWater Quality in South CarolinaWater Quality in South DakotaWater Quality in TennesseeWater Quality in TexasWater Quality in UtahWater Quality in VirginiaWater Quality in WashingtonWater Quality in West VirginiaWater Quality in WisconsinWater Quality in Wyoming

Other Rankings

Best Overall Cities

Highest MoveScore composite — safest overall balance of all six livability dimensions.

Best for Safety

Lowest crime rates per FBI UCR — best for families sensitive to violent and property crime.

Best for Air Quality

Cleanest air per EPA AQS — lowest median AQI and fewest unhealthy days.

Best for Public Schools

Strongest public school performance per NCES/EDFacts — highest average proficiency.

Best Fiscal Health

Strongest municipal fiscal health per Census ASPEP — sustainable per-capita spending.

Best for Hospital Care

Highest-rated hospitals per CMS HCAHPS — best patient experience scores.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the top-ranked US city for water quality?

The top-ranked city on Best for Water Quality is Charleston, SC with a sub-score of 100/100. All rankings use federal government data only.

How is this ranking calculated?

Cleanest drinking water per EPA SDWIS — fewest violations, highest safety scores. Sub-scores are normalized to 0-100, then cities are ordered from highest to lowest. See the methodology page for the full formula.

Where does the data come from?

MoveScore blends six federal data streams: FBI UCR, EPA SDWIS, EPA AQS, NCES CCD + EDFacts, Census ASPEP, and CMS HCAHPS. A city is included only if at least three of the six sources have a record for it.

Sources: FBI UCR, EPA SDWIS, EPA AQS, NCES, Census ASPEP, CMS HCAHPS
Last updated:

Ranking uses the individual water sub-score, normalized to 0-100.