Metro Environmental Index · CT

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford

What federal data says about air, drinking water, flood, wildfire and earthquake risk across 2 counties. Edition MEI-2026, data as of December 2025, methodology v1.6.

35of 100

Overall index

Scores 35 of 100

One number from 0 to 100 across the domains below. A higher score means lower measured environmental risk. On this measure it sits #74 of 97 among scored metros. It describes the whole metro, not any one home, and it is not a verdict on whether to live here.

The five domains

Air quality

How often air monitors in the metro's counties record levels above EPA's health-based standards.

Higher than 54% of the 97 scored metros on this measure (higher means lower measured risk)
Higher than 45% of mid-size metros on this measure

Source: EPA AirData (annual AQI by CBSA; annual concentrations by monitor) (EPA), 2026-07-13.

Drinking water

Health-based violations by the metro's public water systems, against EPA's federal limits. This is system-wide, not what comes out of your tap.

Higher than 50% of the 97 scored metros on this measure (higher means lower measured risk)
Higher than 40% of mid-size metros on this measure

Source: EPA SDWIS (ECHO SDWA bulk: systems, violations, lead 90th percentile) (EPA), 2026-10-14; EPA UCMR 5 (PFAS) (EPA), 2026-10-14.

Flood risk

FEMA's National Risk Index flood measures for the metro's counties.

Higher than 21% of the 97 scored metros on this measure (higher means lower measured risk)
Higher than 10% of mid-size metros on this measure

Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) (FEMA), 2025-12-16.

Wildfire risk

FEMA's National Risk Index wildfire measures for the metro's counties.

Higher than 58% of the 97 scored metros on this measure (higher means lower measured risk)
Higher than 60% of mid-size metros on this measure

Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) (FEMA), 2025-12-16.

Earthquake & ground hazards

FEMA's National Risk Index measures for earthquake, landslide and volcanic activity.

Higher than 27% of the 97 scored metros on this measure (higher means lower measured risk)
Higher than 25% of mid-size metros on this measure

Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) (FEMA), 2025-12-16.

Scores run 0 to 100, higher meaning lower risk. A domain with too little source data shows a dash. We never estimate one.

Coverage and confidence

How much source data we had for this metro: medium. Source coverage: 81% of the metro's population has usable data in the least-covered domain.

A metro score is a starting point

Your address can differ from the metro average

Pipe age, elevation and wildfire exposure can differ a lot within one metro. Enter a ZIP in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford for the same checks at the home level. We only ask for the ZIP.

Where these numbers come from

Compiled by HomeDoc from EPA air and drinking-water data and FEMA’s National Risk Index, scored the same way for every metro and refreshed once a year. Percentiles compare this metro with the other scored metros, and with metros of similar size.

EPA AirData (annual AQI by CBSA; annual concentrations by monitor), 2026-07-13
EPA SDWIS (ECHO SDWA bulk: systems, violations, lead 90th percentile), 2026-10-14
EPA UCMR 5 (PFAS), 2026-10-14
FEMA National Risk Index (NRI), 2025-12-16

All 100 metros