Water hardness
Raleigh, NC water hardness
Raleigh's tap water measures 30 ppm, which is soft. City of Raleigh Public Utilities publishes this as a bound rather than a measured value, so treat it as the system's own ceiling, not a reading.
30 ppm
Soft
Raleigh shower water
Hardness bands per the U.S. Geological Survey.
30
Source: City of Raleigh Public Utilities, 2025.
Elsewhere in North Carolina, Charlotte tests at 27 ppm.
What Raleigh water means for your hair and skin
Below 60 ppm there is nothing to fix. If your water bothers you at this level, the cause is likely chlorine, which is a filter's job, and a different topic than hardness.
Water hardness in nearby and regional cities
- Charlotte, NC 27 ppm
- Washington, DC 70 to 120 ppm
- Nashville, TN 80 ppm
- Jacksonville, FL 120 to 372 ppm
- New York, NY 25 ppm
Check your own zip code
Check the number for your exact address with the free zip lookup, or read the utility's own report linked above.