Well water hardness in Michigan
Across 38 counties of Michigan, the median well sampled by the USGS has 17.3 gpg of hardness. Counties range from 4.2 gpg (Chippewa County) to 23.3 gpg (Monroe County).
Millions of American households drink water from their own well. No utility tests that water and no water quality report covers it. These pages summarise the hardness the U.S. Geological Survey measured in wells county by county, so you know what to expect before you test your own well.
Counties, hardest first
| gpg | mg/L | wells | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 23.3 | 399 | 34 | very hard |
| Isabella County | 22.6 | 387 | 15 | very hard |
| Eaton County | 22.4 | 384 | 20 | very hard |
| Ingham County | 21.3 | 365 | 68 | very hard |
| Livingston County | 21 | 359 | 45 | very hard |
| Gratiot County | 20.6 | 352 | 20 | very hard |
| Washtenaw County | 19.7 | 337 | 30 | very hard |
| Jackson County | 19.7 | 337 | 25 | very hard |
| Gladwin County | 19.6 | 336 | 14 | very hard |
| Shiawassee County | 19 | 325 | 13 | very hard |
| Saginaw County | 18.9 | 324 | 35 | very hard |
| Hillsdale County | 18.8 | 321 | 18 | very hard |
| Oakland County | 18.7 | 320 | 105 | very hard |
| Iosco County | 18.3 | 314 | 12 | very hard |
| Kalamazoo County | 18.3 | 313 | 49 | very hard |
| Calhoun County | 18.3 | 313 | 16 | very hard |
| Ionia County | 17.9 | 306 | 12 | very hard |
| Arenac County | 17.3 | 297 | 14 | very hard |
| Clinton County | 17.3 | 296 | 14 | very hard |
| Midland County | 17.2 | 295 | 22 | very hard |
| Dickinson County | 16.6 | 284 | 21 | very hard |
| Kent County | 16 | 275 | 10 | very hard |
| Lapeer County | 15.8 | 270 | 36 | very hard |
| Huron County | 15.2 | 261 | 57 | very hard |
| Menominee County | 15 | 257 | 11 | very hard |
| Sanilac County | 14.6 | 250 | 23 | very hard |
| Van Buren County | 14 | 240 | 43 | very hard |
| Delta County | 13.3 | 227 | 13 | very hard |
| Genesee County | 13.2 | 226 | 26 | very hard |
| Tuscola County | 12.9 | 222 | 24 | very hard |
| Muskegon County | 11.6 | 199 | 15 | very hard |
| Grand Traverse County | 11.4 | 196 | 35 | very hard |
| Leelanau County | 10.5 | 180 | 15 | very hard |
| Alger County | 7 | 120 | 19 | hard |
| Baraga County | 5.7 | 97 | 16 | moderately hard |
| Gogebic County | 5.1 | 87 | 10 | moderately hard |
| Marquette County | 4.3 | 73 | 41 | moderately hard |
| Chippewa County | 4.2 | 73 | 11 | moderately hard |
Counties with fewer than 10 sampled wells, or a median outside 5–500 mg/L, are not shown until the figure is reviewed.
Michigan: tap water hardness by city → · Well water hardness by state and county →