Hillsboro, OR: 2 Health Violations - Home Safety 74/100
2 ZIP codes · 5 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Hillsboro: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
For households in Hillsboro, OR water data shows a consistently above-average safety picture.
How Hillsboro Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Hillsboro Water: The Quick Version
- Your city's water systems recorded 33 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0045 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 37% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,600 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 10.99.
Water Systems Serving Hillsboro
With 3 utilities splitting service in Hillsboro, OR, water accountability is distributed across 5 systems on the federal record.
- B
- B
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 2 ZIP codes in Hillsboro, Oregon (population ~102,973), covering 5 community water systems serving approximately 332,172 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 2 of 2 ZIP codes.
2 of 2 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (100%) have recorded EPA violations. 2 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Hillsboro: B (74/100)
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
Hillsboro water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0045 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 of 2 ZIP codes with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 2 (Moderate Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 2 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 0 ZIP codes
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contaminant 0700 | Other | 28 | 1 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 18 | 2 |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Disinfection Byproducts | 5 | 2 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 5 | 2 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | Treatment Technique | 4 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | Violations | Health-Based | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97123 | C | 33 | 2 | City of Hillsboro, |
| 97124 | B | 6 | 0 | City of Hillsboro, |
All ZIP Codes in Hillsboro
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 Hillsboro
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
Key Contaminants Detected in Hillsboro
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
How Old Is Hillsboro's Housing Stock?
Housing age data helps assess potential lead pipe and infrastructure risks. Newer housing stock generally means lower plumbing-related contamination risk.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Housing Age Profile
Because Hillsboro's housing stock spans a wide range of construction eras, the median build year of 1996 lands in a zone where two distinct risk populations share the same residential market. Homes built before 1986 may have lead-soldered copper plumbing joints - that practice was federally prohibited in 1986 but remained standard until then. The fraction built before 1970 face an additional risk: lead pipes used for service line connections were common before that decade, meaning both the pipe and the solder may be lead-containing in the oldest structures. Residents in mid-century or earlier homes face a different risk environment than neighbors in houses built after 1986, even if they drink from the same utility's supply - and that property-level divergence is what makes the age distribution above more diagnostic than the city-wide median alone.
Most homes in Hillsboro were built after 1986, reducing the risk of lead contamination from plumbing. Older homes should still be tested.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.
Hillsboro: Remediation Cost in Perspective
For most homeowners in Hillsboro, 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 Hillsboro are relatively low compared to home values. The $800–$2,600 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 28% above the Oregon average.
Protecting Children from Lead in Hillsboro
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.
In recent monitoring under the Lead and Copper Rule, citywide samples for Hillsboro have approached or crossed the regulatory action level on multiple occasions. Combined with 37% of stock dating from the pre-rule era, the picture supports baseline single-tap reads as a standard household-level step.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Hillsboro
Historical NFIP data for Hillsboro contains 33 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $17,032. 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>$1,600</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.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Hillsboro, OR