Water hardness in Georgia
Georgia has a median ambient water hardness of 25 mg/L, which is 1.5 grains per gallon and classes as soft. That is the middle of 96,276 samples across 159 counties.
This is ambient water, not tap water. These figures come from samples taken from wells, streams and springs by USGS, EPA and state agencies. Municipal utilities treat, blend and sometimes soften water before it reaches a tap, so a city supply can be considerably softer than the ground beneath it. Treat this as a good guide for a private well and an approximate one for city water. Your utility's annual water quality report gives the real number for a municipal tap, and a test strip gives it for yours.
Every monitored county in Georgia
Ranked hardest first. The middle 50% column shows how much the samples within a county vary, which matters more than the median where a county spans two geologies.
| County | mg/L | gpg | Class | Middle 50% | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McIntosh County | 3,700 | 216.1 | Very hard | 170 to 4,800 | 458 |
| Liberty County | 1,400 | 81.8 | Very hard | 32 to 3,900 | 911 |
| Camden County | 600 | 35.1 | Very hard | 44 to 4,800 | 714 |
| Glynn County | 260 | 15.2 | Very hard | 200 to 560 | 4,883 |
| Chatham County | 148 | 8.6 | Hard | 46 to 1,500 | 1,225 |
| Catoosa County | 128 | 7.5 | Hard | 100 to 140 | 1,010 |
| Chattooga County | 110 | 6.4 | Moderately hard | 83 to 120 | 1,567 |
| Mitchell County | 110 | 6.4 | Moderately hard | 28 to 135 | 59 |
| Polk County | 110 | 6.4 | Moderately hard | 65 to 130 | 485 |
| Walker County | 110 | 6.4 | Moderately hard | 61 to 130 | 438 |
| Miller County | 100 | 5.8 | Moderately hard | 76 to 120 | 172 |
| Whitfield County | 64 | 3.7 | Moderately hard | 50 to 83 | 1,935 |
| Coffee County | 63 | 3.7 | Moderately hard | 27 to 160 | 507 |
| Floyd County | 54 | 3.2 | Soft | 42 to 69 | 2,228 |
| Dooly County | 53 | 3.1 | Soft | 30 to 91 | 147 |
| Gordon County | 50 | 2.9 | Soft | 36 to 81 | 1,799 |
| Thomas County | 48 | 2.8 | Soft | 26 to 95 | 498 |
| Dade County | 47 | 2.7 | Soft | 14 to 120 | 182 |
| Bleckley County | 46 | 2.7 | Soft | 33 to 83 | 42 |
| Baker County | 45 | 2.6 | Soft | 34 to 59 | 712 |
| Colquitt County | 45 | 2.6 | Soft | 31 to 72 | 384 |
| Lowndes County | 45 | 2.6 | Soft | 24 to 92 | 824 |
| Bryan County | 44 | 2.6 | Soft | 16 to 3,900 | 408 |
| Decatur County | 40 | 2.3 | Soft | 22 to 69 | 1,450 |
| Bartow County | 38 | 2.2 | Soft | 24 to 68 | 1,722 |
| Wilkes County | 35 | 2 | Soft | 26 to 44 | 278 |
| Clayton County | 34 | 2 | Soft | 27 to 45 | 267 |
| Dougherty County | 34 | 2 | Soft | 25 to 119 | 1,269 |
| Cook County | 33 | 1.9 | Soft | 24 to 43 | 225 |
| Grady County | 33 | 1.9 | Soft | 24 to 50 | 725 |
| Henry County | 33 | 1.9 | Soft | 24 to 43 | 467 |
| Jeff Davis County | 33 | 1.9 | Soft | 26 to 44 | 460 |
| Sumter County | 33 | 1.9 | Soft | 20 to 47 | 713 |
| Brooks County | 32 | 1.9 | Soft | 23 to 51 | 520 |
| Jones County | 32 | 1.9 | Soft | 25 to 45 | 703 |
| Taliaferro County | 32 | 1.9 | Soft | 26 to 37 | 110 |
| Jasper County | 31 | 1.8 | Soft | 22 to 40 | 237 |
| Dodge County | 30 | 1.8 | Soft | 22 to 37 | 48 |
| Fulton County | 30 | 1.8 | Soft | 20 to 44 | 5,355 |
| Long County | 30 | 1.8 | Soft | 18 to 40 | 263 |
| Ben Hill County | 29 | 1.7 | Soft | 22 to 54 | 111 |
| Cobb County | 29 | 1.7 | Soft | 21 to 34 | 1,025 |
| DeKalb County | 29 | 1.7 | Soft | 22 to 39 | 2,885 |
| Paulding County | 29 | 1.7 | Soft | 24 to 35 | 148 |
| Pulaski County | 29 | 1.7 | Soft | 25 to 35 | 429 |
| Treutlen County | 29 | 1.7 | Soft | 15 to 40 | 45 |
| Wilcox County | 29 | 1.7 | Soft | 20 to 48 | 111 |
| Calhoun County | 28 | 1.6 | Soft | 19 to 85 | 155 |
| Irwin County | 28 | 1.6 | Soft | 23 to 36 | 151 |
| Jackson County | 28 | 1.6 | Soft | 22 to 32 | 366 |
| Jenkins County | 28 | 1.6 | Soft | 20 to 38 | 122 |
| Seminole County | 28 | 1.6 | Soft | 24 to 32 | 663 |
| Turner County | 28 | 1.6 | Soft | 20 to 37 | 139 |
| Tift County | 27 | 1.6 | Soft | 2 to 57 | 375 |
| Twiggs County | 27 | 1.6 | Soft | 15 to 120 | 67 |
| Bulloch County | 26 | 1.5 | Soft | 20 to 36 | 676 |
| Douglas County | 26 | 1.5 | Soft | 19 to 33 | 1,159 |
| Early County | 26 | 1.5 | Soft | 20 to 62 | 281 |
| Screven County | 26 | 1.5 | Soft | 18 to 36 | 614 |
| Burke County | 25 | 1.5 | Soft | 16 to 49 | 212 |
| Fayette County | 25 | 1.5 | Soft | 20 to 30 | 598 |
| Johnson County | 25 | 1.5 | Soft | 12 to 39 | 83 |
| Wilkinson County | 25 | 1.5 | Soft | 17 to 36 | 304 |
| Appling County | 24 | 1.4 | Soft | 18 to 32 | 248 |
| Bacon County | 24 | 1.4 | Soft | 20 to 32 | 230 |
| Barrow County | 24 | 1.4 | Soft | 19 to 29 | 179 |
| Crisp County | 24 | 1.4 | Soft | 20 to 100 | 243 |
| Franklin County | 24 | 1.4 | Soft | 20 to 27 | 215 |
| Laurens County | 24 | 1.4 | Soft | 19 to 31 | 690 |
| Troup County | 24 | 1.4 | Soft | 19 to 30 | 1,754 |
| Atkinson County | 23 | 1.3 | Soft | 19 to 27 | 85 |
| Berrien County | 23 | 1.3 | Soft | 15 to 34 | 215 |
| Coweta County | 23 | 1.3 | Soft | 17 to 30 | 323 |
| Emanuel County | 23 | 1.3 | Soft | 13 to 32 | 110 |
| Lee County | 23 | 1.3 | Soft | 18 to 81 | 160 |
| Muscogee County | 23 | 1.3 | Soft | 18 to 26 | 433 |
| Oconee County | 23 | 1.3 | Soft | 17 to 30 | 563 |
| Putnam County | 23 | 1.3 | Soft | 20 to 31 | 626 |
| Banks County | 22 | 1.3 | Soft | 18 to 25 | 58 |
| Chattahoochee County | 22 | 1.3 | Soft | 19 to 24 | 213 |
| Cherokee County | 22 | 1.3 | Soft | 16 to 38 | 2,216 |
| Clay County | 22 | 1.3 | Soft | 20 to 24 | 328 |
| Crawford County | 22 | 1.3 | Soft | 11 to 40 | 134 |
| Effingham County | 22 | 1.3 | Soft | 18 to 28 | 601 |
| Greene County | 22 | 1.3 | Soft | 18 to 33 | 713 |
| Harris County | 22 | 1.3 | Soft | 18 to 27 | 841 |
| McDuffie County | 22 | 1.3 | Soft | 9 to 33 | 125 |
| Quitman County | 22 | 1.3 | Soft | 18 to 24 | 321 |
| Spalding County | 22 | 1.3 | Soft | 19 to 24 | 125 |
| Wayne County | 22 | 1.3 | Soft | 13 to 32 | 817 |
| Worth County | 22 | 1.3 | Soft | 18 to 39 | 185 |
| Murray County | 21 | 1.2 | Soft | 10 to 59 | 328 |
| Newton County | 21 | 1.2 | Soft | 16 to 33 | 1,302 |
| Stewart County | 21 | 1.2 | Soft | 18 to 25 | 699 |
| Washington County | 21 | 1.2 | Soft | 16 to 27 | 182 |
| Charlton County | 20 | 1.2 | Soft | 11 to 31 | 553 |
| Clarke County | 20 | 1.2 | Soft | 17 to 28 | 400 |
| Gwinnett County | 20 | 1.2 | Soft | 14 to 28 | 4,838 |
| Hancock County | 20 | 1.2 | Soft | 17 to 25 | 310 |
| Monroe County | 20 | 1.2 | Soft | 16 to 25 | 768 |
| Pierce County | 20 | 1.2 | Soft | 16 to 25 | 452 |
| Ware County | 20 | 1.2 | Soft | 8 to 40 | 356 |
| Warren County | 20 | 1.2 | Soft | 12 to 34 | 197 |
| Butts County | 19 | 1.1 | Soft | 13 to 28 | 968 |
| Candler County | 19 | 1.1 | Soft | 15 to 28 | 158 |
| Evans County | 19 | 1.1 | Soft | 12 to 26 | 246 |
| Morgan County | 19 | 1.1 | Soft | 15 to 25 | 418 |
| Oglethorpe County | 19 | 1.1 | Soft | 15 to 30 | 128 |
| Baldwin County | 18 | 1.1 | Soft | 16 to 20 | 356 |
| Jefferson County | 18 | 1.1 | Soft | 13 to 23 | 292 |
| Pike County | 18 | 1.1 | Soft | 14 to 22 | 263 |
| Rockdale County | 18 | 1.1 | Soft | 12 to 30 | 746 |
| Terrell County | 18 | 1.1 | Soft | 14 to 41 | 145 |
| Wheeler County | 18 | 1.1 | Soft | 13 to 24 | 209 |
| Bibb County | 17 | 1 | Soft | 15 to 19 | 617 |
| Carroll County | 17 | 1 | Soft | 12 to 23 | 1,219 |
| Columbia County | 17 | 1 | Soft | 14 to 28 | 287 |
| Heard County | 17 | 1 | Soft | 8 to 27 | 1,206 |
| Montgomery County | 17 | 1 | Soft | 12 to 37 | 57 |
| Pickens County | 17 | 1 | Soft | 10 to 29 | 163 |
| Randolph County | 17 | 1 | Soft | 14 to 20 | 273 |
| Telfair County | 17 | 1 | Soft | 13 to 30 | 148 |
| Walton County | 17 | 1 | Soft | 14 to 21 | 329 |
| Stephens County | 16 | 0.9 | Soft | 10 to 27 | 115 |
| Tattnall County | 16 | 0.9 | Soft | 12 to 23 | 388 |
| Toombs County | 16 | 0.9 | Soft | 11 to 25 | 257 |
| Hall County | 15 | 0.9 | Soft | 12 to 28 | 2,493 |
| Lamar County | 15 | 0.9 | Soft | 12 to 18 | 73 |
| Madison County | 15 | 0.9 | Soft | 11 to 22 | 224 |
| Meriwether County | 15 | 0.9 | Soft | 12 to 20 | 274 |
| Upson County | 15 | 0.9 | Soft | 11 to 18 | 609 |
| Webster County | 15 | 0.9 | Soft | 12 to 20 | 222 |
| Echols County | 14 | 0.8 | Soft | 8 to 22 | 348 |
| Haralson County | 14 | 0.8 | Soft | 13 to 17 | 412 |
| Houston County | 14 | 0.8 | Soft | 8 to 24 | 175 |
| Lincoln County | 14 | 0.8 | Soft | 13 to 16 | 235 |
| Elbert County | 13 | 0.8 | Soft | 10 to 20 | 437 |
| Brantley County | 12 | 0.7 | Soft | 9 to 20 | 754 |
| Forsyth County | 12 | 0.7 | Soft | 11 to 18 | 727 |
| Glascock County | 12 | 0.7 | Soft | 10 to 16 | 80 |
| Macon County | 12 | 0.7 | Soft | 9 to 15 | 881 |
| Richmond County | 12 | 0.7 | Soft | 5 to 15 | 1,009 |
| Talbot County | 12 | 0.7 | Soft | 10 to 22 | 145 |
| Gilmer County | 9 | 0.5 | Soft | 7 to 12 | 1,859 |
| Habersham County | 8 | 0.5 | Soft | 6 to 18 | 294 |
| Hart County | 8 | 0.5 | Soft | 8 to 13 | 276 |
| White County | 8 | 0.5 | Soft | 4 to 11 | 496 |
| Clinch County | 7 | 0.4 | Soft | 6 to 10 | 562 |
| Lanier County | 7 | 0.4 | Soft | 6 to 14 | 223 |
| Union County | 7 | 0.4 | Soft | 6 to 8 | 582 |
| Dawson County | 6 | 0.4 | Soft | 5 to 10 | 245 |
| Peach County | 6 | 0.4 | Soft | 5 to 8 | 21 |
| Schley County | 6 | 0.4 | Soft | 6 to 11 | 25 |
| Fannin County | 5 | 0.3 | Soft | 5 to 10 | 719 |
| Lumpkin County | 5 | 0.3 | Soft | 3 to 10 | 984 |
| Marion County | 5 | 0.3 | Soft | 4 to 10 | 62 |
| Rabun County | 5 | 0.3 | Soft | 4 to 7 | 848 |
| Taylor County | 5 | 0.3 | Soft | 3 to 16 | 288 |
| Towns County | 4 | 0.2 | Soft | 3 to 6 | 451 |
Source: Water Quality Portal (USGS, EPA and state agencies), waterqualitydata.us, retrieved 2026-09-19. 2,904,346 samples across 3,110 counties.
What this means for a household in Georgia
At 1.5 grains per gallon, a family of four would need a softener of about 16,000 grains to regenerate roughly weekly, using around 62 lb of salt a year. Size it for your own household.
159 of these counties include well samples, so the figures are a reasonable guide for private well water there. Municipal supplies in the same counties may be softer, because utilities often blend or treat.
Hardness follows geology rather than borders. Where a county sits on limestone or dolomite the water is hard; on granite, basalt or sandstone it is soft. That is why neighbouring counties in this table can differ by a factor of several.