Research · updated 2026-08-28 · download the county-level CSV
West Virginia Well Depth & Drilling Cost Index
Drilling a private water well in West Virginia means paying by the foot — so the two questions every well owner asks are how deep and how much. We computed both for all 55 counties with enough records to be reliable, from 12,896 official USGS NWIS well records.
Statewide, the median well reaches 86 ft, and a complete system — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, and hookup — typically runs $5,160–$8,600. But the county spread is large:
Deepest counties to drill in West Virginia
| County | Median depth | Typical depth range | Complete system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe | 225 ft | 110 ft–400 ft | $13,500–$22,500 |
| Mercer | 198 ft | 103 ft–300 ft | $11,880–$19,800 |
| Morgan | 198 ft | 140 ft–300 ft | $11,880–$19,800 |
| Jefferson | 152 ft | 85 ft–250 ft | $9,120–$15,200 |
| Jackson | 120 ft | 80 ft–178 ft | $7,200–$12,000 |
Most expensive counties to drill in West Virginia
| County | Complete system | Drilling & casing only | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe | $13,500–$22,500 | $5,625–$14,625 | 225 ft |
| Mercer | $11,880–$19,800 | $4,950–$12,870 | 198 ft |
| Morgan | $11,880–$19,800 | $4,950–$12,870 | 198 ft |
| Jefferson | $9,120–$15,200 | $3,800–$9,880 | 152 ft |
| Jackson | $7,200–$12,000 | $3,000–$7,800 | 120 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 West Virginia 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
- West Virginia well records: USGS NWIS (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 West Virginia Well Data (westvirginiawelldata.com). For a specific county, a custom cut, or the underlying records, email — usually same-day.
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