Research · updated 2026-08-19 · download the county-level CSV
Pennsylvania Well Depth & Drilling Cost Index
Drilling a private water well in Pennsylvania means paying by the foot — so the two questions every well owner asks are how deep and how much. We computed both for all 67 counties with enough records to be reliable, from 592,874 official PaGWIS well records.
Statewide, the median well reaches 162 ft, and a complete system — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, and hookup — typically runs $9,720–$16,200. But the county spread is large:
Deepest counties to drill in Pennsylvania
| County | Median depth | Typical depth range | Complete system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pike | 251 ft | 180 ft–348 ft | $15,060–$25,100 |
| Susquehanna | 245 ft | 165 ft–340 ft | $14,700–$24,500 |
| Lackawanna | 240 ft | 166 ft–325 ft | $14,400–$24,000 |
| Wyoming | 240 ft | 173 ft–348 ft | $14,400–$24,000 |
| Fulton | 220 ft | 155 ft–300 ft | $13,200–$22,000 |
Most expensive counties to drill in Pennsylvania
| County | Complete system | Drilling & casing only | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pike | $15,060–$25,100 | $6,275–$16,315 | 251 ft |
| Susquehanna | $14,700–$24,500 | $6,125–$15,925 | 245 ft |
| Lackawanna | $14,400–$24,000 | $6,000–$15,600 | 240 ft |
| Wyoming | $14,400–$24,000 | $6,000–$15,600 | 240 ft |
| Fulton | $13,200–$22,000 | $5,500–$14,300 | 220 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 Pennsylvania 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
- Pennsylvania well records: PaGWIS (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 Pennsylvania Well Records (pennsylvaniawellrecords.com). For a specific county, a custom cut, or the underlying records, email — usually same-day.
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