Research · updated 2026-08-24 · download the county-level CSV
Kentucky Well Depth & Drilling Cost Index
Drilling a private water well in Kentucky means paying by the foot — so the two questions every well owner asks are how deep and how much. We computed both for all 116 counties with enough records to be reliable, from 58,137 official KGS/DOW well records.
Statewide, the median well reaches 125 ft, and a complete system — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, and hookup — typically runs $9,780–$16,300. But the county spread is large:
Deepest counties to drill in Kentucky
| County | Median depth | Typical depth range | Complete system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grayson | 225 ft | 166 ft–325 ft | $14,520–$24,200 |
| Hart | 225 ft | 170 ft–322 ft | $21,600–$36,000 |
| Breckinridge | 222 ft | 155 ft–305 ft | $17,760–$29,600 |
| Meade | 216 ft | 162 ft–302 ft | $10,140–$16,900 |
| Wolfe | 210 ft | 126 ft–300 ft | $18,000–$30,000 |
Most expensive counties to drill in Kentucky
| County | Complete system | Drilling & casing only | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hart | $21,600–$36,000 | $9,000–$23,400 | 225 ft |
| Hopkins | $19,260–$32,100 | $8,025–$20,865 | 208 ft |
| Morgan | $18,060–$30,100 | $7,525–$19,565 | 205 ft |
| Pike | $18,000–$30,000 | $7,500–$19,500 | 85 ft |
| Wolfe | $18,000–$30,000 | $7,500–$19,500 | 210 ft |
Download the full county table (CSV)
How to read this
- Depth is measured; cost is modeled. Depths are the median of recorded drilled depths per county. Cost applies published Kentucky per-foot drilling rates to that local median depth — a planning estimate, not a quote. Actual bids vary with geology, casing, site access, and water depth.
- Counties below 30 records are excluded so a thin sample can't produce a misleading superlative.
- Records are drilling events from the state database, which include some replacement and abandoned wells; deeper counties reflect real local geology (bedrock, aquifer depth).
Sources & methodology
- Kentucky well records: KGS/DOW (refreshed weekly; see our general methodology).
- Percentiles (p25/median/p75) computed per county; cost from published per-foot rate ranges applied to the local median depth.
The county table is free to use with attribution to Kentucky Well Data (kentuckywelldata.com). For a specific county, a custom cut, or the underlying records, email — usually same-day.
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