Is Texas tap water hard or soft?
Yes, mostly. 73 % of the 60 cities with published data in Texas have hard or very hard water (over 120 mg/L). The median is 8.6 gpg, from 0.4 gpg in College Station to 29.2 gpg in Midland.
We have published hardness data for 60 cities in Texas. The median is 8.6 gpg; the hardest water is in Midland (29.2 gpg), the softest in College Station (0.4 gpg).
73 % of these cities have hard or very hard water (over 120 mg/L).
USGS classes: soft 0–60, moderately hard 61–120, hard 121–180, very hard >180 mg/L.
Cities in Texas, hardest first
| gpg | mg/L | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Midland | 29.2 | 500 | very hard |
| Mercedes | 19 | 325 | very hard |
| Boerne | 18.8 | 322 | very hard |
| Stephenville | 18.3 | 314 | very hard |
| Abilene | 18 | 309 | very hard |
| San Antonio | 17.5 | 300 | very hard |
| Donna | 17.5 | 299 | very hard |
| Kyle | 16.6 | 285 | very hard |
| Bastrop | 15.6 | 267 | very hard |
| Denison | 15.3 | 262 | very hard |
| Universal City | 14.8 | 254 | very hard |
| Round Rock | 14.5 | 249 | very hard |
| Port Lavaca | 14.5 | 248 | very hard |
| Lake Jackson | 14 | 240 | very hard |
| Amarillo | 13.9 | 238 | very hard |
| Corpus Christi | 13.8 | 236 | very hard |
| Brownsville | 12.5 | 215 | very hard |
| Victoria | 12.4 | 212 | very hard |
| Heath | 11.7 | 200 | very hard |
| Prosper | 11.5 | 197 | very hard |
| Fair Oaks Ranch | 10.9 | 187 | very hard |
| Marble Falls | 10.8 | 185 | very hard |
| Rockport | 10.5 | 179 | hard |
| El Paso | 10.2 | 175 | hard |
| Grand Prairie | 9.9 | 170 | hard |
| Melissa | 9 | 154 | hard |
| Royse City | 9 | 154 | hard |
| Robinson | 8.7 | 149 | hard |
| Forney | 8.6 | 148 | hard |
| Frisco, TX | 8.6 | 148 | hard |
| Garland | 8.6 | 148 | hard |
| Rowlett | 8.6 | 148 | hard |
| Sachse | 8.6 | 148 | hard |
| The Colony | 8.6 | 148 | hard |
| Southlake | 8.5 | 145 | hard |
| Galena Park | 8.1 | 139 | hard |
| Allen | 7.8 | 134 | hard |
| Fort Worth | 7.5 | 129 | hard |
| Galveston | 7.4 | 127 | hard |
| Burleson | 7.3 | 126 | hard |
| Saginaw | 7.3 | 126 | hard |
| Sugar Land | 7.3 | 125 | hard |
| League City | 7.2 | 124 | hard |
| Little Elm | 7 | 120 | hard |
| Grapevine | 6.8 | 117 | moderately hard |
| Rosenberg | 6.7 | 114 | moderately hard |
| Mesquite | 6.6 | 114 | moderately hard |
| Houston | 6.4 | 110 | moderately hard |
| Mansfield | 6.1 | 105 | moderately hard |
| Waxahachie | 6 | 103 | moderately hard |
| Brenham | 5.6 | 96 | moderately hard |
| Austin | 5.4 | 93 | moderately hard |
| Texarkana | 4.8 | 83 | moderately hard |
| Woodway | 4.1 | 70 | moderately hard |
| Longview | 3.8 | 65 | moderately hard |
| Tyler | 2.6 | 44 | soft |
| Kilgore | 2.3 | 40 | soft |
| Whitehouse | 1.2 | 20 | soft |
| Bryan | 0.5 | 8 | soft |
| College Station | 0.4 | 6 | soft |
FAQ
Is Texas water hard or soft?
Yes, mostly. 73 % of the 60 cities we cover have hard or very hard water; the median is 8.6 gpg.
Which city in Texas has the hardest water?
Midland, at 29.2 gpg, has the hardest water of the 60 cities with published data.
Which city in Texas has the softest water?
College Station, at 0.4 gpg, has the softest water of the 60 cities with published data.
Do I need a water softener in Texas?
Above about 120 mg/L (7 gpg) scale builds up in water heaters, kettles and dishwashers, and a softener or at least regular descaling pays off. Look up your own city in the table: in Texas the values range from 0.4 gpg to 29.2 gpg.