Hidden Hazards: 2025’s Cities With the Highest Risk of Lead Paint Exposure

How do you know your home might have lead paint?

Housing built before 1976 is likely to have some lead paint, especially on exterior surfaces and in areas like bathrooms where water is used.

How can homeowners find out if their water access is through lead-based pipes?

Lead pipes are about 2 inches in diameter, grey metal, and soft enough to scratch with a key. You can probably see the pipe where it enters the water meter, but this is not always possible. Some cities have registries where they list known lead water pipes. You can also have your water tested for lead.

What are some symptoms of lead poisoning that homeowners should be aware of?

Children with blood lead levels in the range now seen in the U.S. do not have easily recognized symptoms at the time of exposure, but are at increased risk for later intellectual and behavioral problems.

How much does it cost to have lead paint inspected and removed? How long does the lead paint abatement process take?

Costs vary by location. In many states, lead inspections are provided at no cost to families, but if hazards are found, families who own their own homes may have to abate the hazards. The usual cost of abating a 2-bedroom apartment is about $10,000 if the house has exterior paint. The largest cost is replacing windows.

What resources, if any, are available to homeowners seeking to have lead paint removed?

Window replacement may qualify for an energy efficiency tax deduction. Some cities have loan and grant programs funded by HUD to abate lead hazards in low-income properties. Your local or state health department will have more information on these programs.

What can homeowners do to avoid lead exposure if their home has old lead pipes?

Several brands of water filters remove lead from water. They can either be attached to the faucet or come as a pitcher. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions.

How do you know your home might have lead paint?

All homes in the US built before 1978 that have paint on the walls or trim are likely to have lead paint. Paint containing lead was the standard paint available and used before that time. Even if there have been many layers of lead-free paint on top of the lead paint, when it peels, the lead paint is often part of the peel.

There are simple kits that can be purchased at hardware stores to test for lead paint. If you are planning to renovate your home and it was built before 1978, all contractors in the U.S. who are planning on disrupting 6 or more square feet of paint inside are required to test the paint for lead. If it is lead paint, they are required by the EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule to be certified to do it safely.

Using an RRP-certified contractor is critical because otherwise, lead dust may be spread throughout a home, making it available to children and pets. Using an uncertified contractor can make a home without lead hazards (no peeling lead paint) into a very hazardous place to live. Use the Lead-based Paint Professional Locator to ensure you find a certified contractor.

How can homeowners find out if their water access is through lead-based pipes?

The EPA is requiring drinking water purveyors to survey pipes and make this information available to consumers. However, there are hundreds of thousands of lead pipes in the US, and the process is taking a long time. Homeowners can find out if the ‘service line,’ the water line that connects the water main in the street to their home, contains lead by using this technique: Find the location where the service line enters the home. It is usually in the lowest level of the home, often the basement. Take a coin and scratch the pipe. If it is a gold color, it is not lead. If it is a silver color, take a magnet (a refrigerator magnet is adequate) and place it on the pipe. If it sticks, it is not lead; it’s likely galvanized steel. So, a lead service line will be silver in color and not magnetic.

The service line itself is not the only source of lead in water pipes, though. Lead was used in solder after 1978, and brass fixtures from the 1980s still contained a significant amount of lead. Lead levels in water can be quite high with solder or brass fixtures alone.

What are some symptoms of lead poisoning that homeowners should be aware of?

Lead paint is the largest source of lead exposure for children. Once symptoms occur, damage has already been done to the brain, nerves, and multiple other organs of the body. This is particularly true for children because the brain and other organs are still developing. Preventing exposure to lead is the best approach because no amount of lead exposure is safe.

Pets are also vulnerable because, just like young children, they spend a lot of time on the ground and put many things in their mouths. Symptoms in children are vague and often attributed to other things. They can be fatigue, irritability, developmental delays, or loss of appetite. Since symptoms alone do not help diagnose lead exposure, all children living in a home built before 1978 should have their blood tested for lead at age one and again at age two. Most insurers pay for these tests.

How much does it cost to have lead paint inspected and removed? How long does the lead paint abatement process take?

Cost and timeframe are outside my area of expertise, though most people do not have lead paint removed because that is very costly. Abatement refers to removing lead paint from areas where there is friction, such as wooden doors that may have warped and rubbed painted surfaces together, creating dust, and also old windows that have chains or cords that rub on painted wood.

Removing old doors and windows and encapsulating painted areas that are peeling are all part of lead abatement. Families should leave the home when lead abatement activities are occurring.

What resources, if any, are available to homeowners seeking to have lead paint removed?

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has, since 1993, given funds to states to reduce lead hazards. The states selected entities that would use the money for lead abatement for low-income homeowners. The funding, however, was always far below the need and decreased substantially in 2024. Whether HUD funding for lead programs will be continued this year is still in question.

What can homeowners do to avoid lead exposure if their home has old lead pipes?

Some municipalities have funding for the replacement of old pipes, especially if the water authority is already replacing the water main on their street. In these cases, homeowners are usually contacted by their water authority and asked if they want their service line replaced. Replacing the service line requires entering the home and working where the line enters the house. Some municipalities have low-interest loans that can be used for service line replacement.

If replacement is not an option, running the water first thing in the morning and whenever the water has not been in use for 6 or more hours can flush the water that has been in contact with lead out of the pipes. The length of time for flushing is about 1 minute for every 50 feet that the kitchen sink is from the center of the street (location of the water main). For homeowners with small front yards, this might be 2 minutes; for others, it may be quite a bit longer.

What can homeowners do to avoid lead exposure if they have peeling lead paint?

Peeling lead paint creates lead chips and dust. Wet mopping and wet dusting daily, rather than sweeping and dry dusting, can reduce the dust available for ingestion by children and pets. As mentioned earlier, replacement of old windows and warped doors can be very effective. If replacing all of the windows and warped doors is too costly, consider replacing windows and doors in the rooms where children spend the most time. Place contact paper or tape on peeling window sills if repainting is not possible. Moving cribs and playpens away from walls with peeling lead paint and washing children’s hands often are important.