Research · updated 2026-08-19 · download the county-level CSV
New York Well Depth & Drilling Cost Index
Drilling a private water well in New York means paying by the foot — so the two questions every well owner asks are how deep and how much. We computed both for all 59 counties with enough records to be reliable, from 144,499 official NYSDEC well records.
Statewide, the median well reaches 160 ft, and a complete system — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, and hookup — typically runs $9,600–$16,000. But the county spread is large:
Deepest counties to drill in New York
| County | Median depth | Typical depth range | Complete system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westchester | 495 ft | 345 ft–630 ft | $29,700–$49,500 |
| Putnam | 400 ft | 285 ft–600 ft | $24,000–$40,000 |
| Washington | 360 ft | 240 ft–465 ft | $21,600–$36,000 |
| Columbia | 345 ft | 240 ft–445 ft | $20,700–$34,500 |
| Dutchess | 345 ft | 223 ft–501 ft | $20,700–$34,500 |
Most expensive counties to drill in New York
| County | Complete system | Drilling & casing only | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westchester | $29,700–$49,500 | $12,375–$32,175 | 495 ft |
| Putnam | $24,000–$40,000 | $10,000–$26,000 | 400 ft |
| Washington | $21,600–$36,000 | $9,000–$23,400 | 360 ft |
| Columbia | $20,700–$34,500 | $8,625–$22,425 | 345 ft |
| Dutchess | $20,700–$34,500 | $8,625–$22,425 | 345 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 New York 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
- New York well records: NYSDEC (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 New York Well Data (newyorkwelldata.com). For a specific county, a custom cut, or the underlying records, email — usually same-day.
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