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I've bumped around the internet a couple times to see if a painted turtle is better with soft or hard water. I'm not sure I've found what I'm looking for. Or does it matter? I've read that pH levels can be in the 6.5-7.0 range, but nothing really about water hardness. Penny for y'alls thoughts.

I think that depends on how hard or soft because there are things you can do to influence it. An argument can be made for either. I think soft water is easier to deal with but more people have hard water and have not had significant issues.

There are wild painted, RES, and snapping turtles in the pond near my subdivision.

I don't know about surface water, but I know our water is very hard, and the clay underlying the pond is hundreds of feet deep, so I'd assume that pond has hard water.

My RES came from that pond when my son and his friend went and caught two after the wife approved a turtle. I'd planned to buy one. Turns out that was the only legal way we could have gotten a RES in Indiana. The turtle has done fine in hard water.

It does mean dealing with hard water stains, but it also means the ph is less likely to swing much.
I suspect either would be fine.