countyscore

Water Quality · North Carolina

Best Water Quality Counties in North Carolina 2026

Ranked by EPA drinking water health violations.

Top 10 — Water Quality in North Carolina

Score reflects water quality only — not overall county quality.

1Alexander County, NC
86
2Alleghany County, NC
86
3Camden County, NC
86
4Dare County, NC
86
5Davidson County, NC
86
6Forsyth County, NC
86
7Gates County, NC
86
8Graham County, NC
86
9Hyde County, NC
86
10Lenoir County, NC
86

All North Carolina Counties — Water Quality Rankings

100 counties ranked by water quality score. Overall Score shown for context.

#CountyWater Quality ScoreOverall Score
1Alexander County, NC
86
56.6
2Alleghany County, NC
86
59
3Camden County, NC
86
40.4
4Dare County, NC
86
51.3
5Davidson County, NC
86
38.7
6Forsyth County, NC
86
33.8
7Gates County, NC
86
56.2
8Graham County, NC
86
55.9
9Hyde County, NC
86
61.1
10Lenoir County, NC
86
38.1
11Pasquotank County, NC
86
45.2
12Person County, NC
86
44.5
13Yancey County, NC
86
68.3
14Mecklenburg County, NC
71.9
33.3
15Durham County, NC
71.5
34.1
16Brunswick County, NC
71.3
45.9
17Union County, NC
70.1
46.2
18Harnett County, NC
69.3
34.7
19New Hanover County, NC
69.3
39.6
20Craven County, NC
67.1
37.8
21Cumberland County, NC
66.6
25.9
22Orange County, NC
66.6
49.6
23Currituck County, NC
66.4
56.4
24Sampson County, NC
66.2
36.3
25Guilford County, NC
66
34.6
26Lincoln County, NC
66
45.6
27Granville County, NC
65
39.6
28Iredell County, NC
64.6
42.4
29Beaufort County, NC
64.2
50.3
30Wayne County, NC
64.2
32.1
31Catawba County, NC
63.8
49.3
32Pamlico County, NC
62.8
52.6
33Hoke County, NC
62.2
35.4
34Pitt County, NC
62
33.6
35Bertie County, NC
61
40.7
36Cleveland County, NC
58.5
42.5
37Caldwell County, NC
57.7
45.5
38Surry County, NC
57.5
50.3
39Halifax County, NC
56.6
31.6
40Alamance County, NC
56
35.6
41Burke County, NC
56
41.4
42Onslow County, NC
55.7
39.3
43Wake County, NC
55.7
53.8
44Hertford County, NC
55.6
39.1
45Carteret County, NC
55.1
44.1
46Wilkes County, NC
54.4
48.9
47Stokes County, NC
53.9
62.4
48Chowan County, NC
53.7
48.1
49Lee County, NC
52.8
35.9
50Madison County, NC
52
65.6
51Rutherford County, NC
51.8
45.9
52Henderson County, NC
51.5
48.1
53Duplin County, NC
51.2
35.7
54Chatham County, NC
51
40.7
55Buncombe County, NC
50.9
41.4
56Mitchell County, NC
50.9
70.9
57Haywood County, NC
50.2
43.6
58Polk County, NC
48.6
52.6
59Columbus County, NC
48.1
40.7
60Swain County, NC
47.9
52.6
61Scotland County, NC
47.5
37.4
62Cherokee County, NC
47.4
46.9
63Robeson County, NC
47.3
31.9
64Perquimans County, NC
47.2
46.1
65Greene County, NC
46.2
43.5
66Nash County, NC
44.7
47.4
67Tyrrell County, NC
44.5
55
68Rowan County, NC
44.1
39.2
69Martin County, NC
43.8
34.3
70Jones County, NC
42.6
59.8
71Washington County, NC
42.6
33.3
72Franklin County, NC
42.1
38.2
73Gaston County, NC
42
31.8
74Anson County, NC
41.5
34.8
75Bladen County, NC
40.8
39.2
76Cabarrus County, NC
40.2
42.2
77Northampton County, NC
39.4
45
78Wilson County, NC
38.9
29.4
79Johnston County, NC
38.2
43.5
80Randolph County, NC
38
39.8
81Clay County, NC
37.4
56.1
82Davie County, NC
36.4
43.2
83Transylvania County, NC
36.3
56.4
84Stanly County, NC
33.2
45.1
85Yadkin County, NC
32.9
50.3
86Avery County, NC
31.5
60.1
87Watauga County, NC
30.2
53.9
88Jackson County, NC
29.4
55.5
89Rockingham County, NC
27.6
39
90Moore County, NC
27.5
48.6
91Ashe County, NC
26.9
52.7
92Vance County, NC
26.7
33.8
93Macon County, NC
26.2
56
94Edgecombe County, NC
26.1
27.3
95McDowell County, NC
24.3
47.8
96Richmond County, NC
22.1
32.8
97Warren County, NC
21.7
36.9
98Pender County, NC
19.8
44.9
99Montgomery County, NC
11.5
46.5
100Caswell County, NC
6.2
59.6

Explore More

Best overall counties in North CarolinaFull Water Quality data on WaterByCounty