Carmel By The Sea, CA Home Safety: Home Safety 67/100
1 ZIP code · 1 water system · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Carmel By The Sea: C.
A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.
Carmel By The Sea's water quality grade in CA reflects a middle-ground assessment - service areas range from fully compliant to violation-flagged in current EPA records.
How Carmel By The Sea Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Carmel By The Sea Water: The Quick Version
- Average lead level: 0.002 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 88% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $2,200 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 11.65.
Water Systems Serving Carmel By The Sea
The structure of water supply in Carmel By The Sea, CA is straightforward: one utility provides the bulk of residential service among 1 tracked system, concentrating rate-setting and infrastructure decisions under a single organization.
- C
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Carmel By The Sea, California (population ~2,459), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 92,450 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 1 of 1 ZIP codes.
The available EPA record reports 0 violations for 1 ZIP code with a reported violation count.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Carmel By The Sea: C (67/100)
Model 4.0.0 uses four measured components across three equally weighted domains. If a required domain is unavailable, no score is published:
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Water Quality | EPA violations and compliance history |
| PFAS MCL Screen | UCMR 5 testing against the covered federal MCLs |
| Radon Risk | EPA radon zone classification |
| Annual AQI | EPA AirData county-year median with at least 90 observed days |
Water Sources
Carmel By The Sea water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0020 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 of 1 ZIP code with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 2 (Moderate Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93921 | C | Cal Am Water Company - Monterey | 92,450 |
All ZIP Codes in Carmel By The Sea
- 93921 [C]
Data Sources
- Water quality: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)
- Lead/copper: EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data
- Radon: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.
CDC Health Data for Carmel By The Sea
Source: CDC PLACES (County-level estimates). Water contamination can correlate with respiratory and chronic health conditions.
Compared to National Average
Vertical line = national average. ■ Above national · ■ Below national
How Old Is Carmel By The Sea's Housing Stock?
With 88% of homes built before 1986, lead solder in plumbing is a potential concern. The EPA banned lead solder in 1986, but many older homes retain original plumbing.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Housing Age Profile
When more than half a city's housing predates the 1986 federal ban on lead solder, plumbing-era lead risk becomes a citywide concern rather than an exception. Carmel By The Sea's median build year of 1943 places it squarely in that category.
Over half of homes in Carmel By The Sea were built before 1986, when lead solder was banned. Older plumbing may leach lead into drinking water, especially with corrosive water chemistry.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.
Carmel By The Sea: Remediation Cost in Perspective
For most homeowners in Carmel By The Sea, the estimated cost of water and safety remediation represents a proportionally modest share of what properties are worth - placing this area in the lower tier of the remediation share scale.
Remediation costs in Carmel By The Sea are relatively low compared to home values. The $1,200–$3,400 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 171% above the California average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Carmel By The Sea
Why children are most at risk: The CDC states there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Children under 6 absorb lead more readily than adults, and even low levels can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems.
Even where utility-side monitoring meets Lead and Copper Rule requirements, the 88% pre-rule share in Carmel By The Sea keeps interior-plumbing variation as a household-level question that aggregate data cannot resolve.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Carmel By The Sea
Historical NFIP data for Carmel By The Sea contains 20 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $14,756. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 100% have an A- or V-family dominant rated zone recorded in those historical claims. This is not a complete current FEMA property-map inventory.
How flooding affects water quality: Flood events can introduce sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial chemicals into water supplies. Even after floodwaters recede, contamination can persist in wells and aging infrastructure. The <strong>$2,200</strong> remediation estimate shown here excludes flood insurance and is not derived from NFIP claim count.
Claim count does not establish current property risk. Check the exact address in FEMA's current map and obtain a property-specific insurance quote when relevant.
Source: historical FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim records. No current FEMA property-map designation is asserted.
What You Can Do in Carmel By The Sea
- Test your water at home. City-level data shows averages - your tap may differ. NSF-certified test kits cost $20-40 and give results in days.
- Install a certified water filter. An NSF-certified pitcher or under-sink filter removes most common contaminants.
- Check your home's plumbing. With 88% of homes built before 1986, lead solder is a real possibility.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Carmel By The Sea, CA