Research · updated 2026-08-22 · download the county-level CSV
Delaware Well Depth & Drilling Cost Index
Drilling a private water well in Delaware means paying by the foot — so the two questions every well owner asks are how deep and how much. We computed both for all 3 counties with enough records to be reliable, from 113,332 official Delaware DNREC well records.
Statewide, the median well reaches 65 ft, and a complete system — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, and hookup — typically runs $4,200–$7,000. But the county spread is large:
Deepest counties to drill in Delaware
| County | Median depth | Typical depth range | Complete system |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle | 140 ft | 82 ft–200 ft | $9,480–$15,800 |
| Sussex | 67 ft | 58 ft–80 ft | $4,200–$7,000 |
| Kent | 50 ft | 36 ft–120 ft | $3,000–$5,000 |
Most expensive counties to drill in Delaware
| County | Complete system | Drilling & casing only | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle | $9,480–$15,800 | $3,950–$10,270 | 140 ft |
| Sussex | $4,200–$7,000 | $1,750–$4,550 | 67 ft |
| Kent | $3,000–$5,000 | $1,250–$3,250 | 50 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 Delaware 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
- Delaware well records: Delaware DNREC (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 Delaware Well Data (delawarewelldata.com). For a specific county, a custom cut, or the underlying records, email — usually same-day.
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