Research · updated 2026-08-20 · download the county-level CSV
Nebraska Well Depth & Drilling Cost Index
Drilling a private water well in Nebraska means paying by the foot — so the two questions every well owner asks are how deep and how much. We computed both for all 93 counties with enough records to be reliable, from 209,371 official NeDNR well records.
Statewide, the median well reaches 163 ft, and a complete system — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, and hookup — typically runs $9,000–$15,000. But the county spread is large:
Deepest counties to drill in Nebraska
| County | Median depth | Typical depth range | Complete system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawes | 520 ft | 379 ft–730 ft | $4,680–$7,800 |
| Perkins | 400 ft | 350 ft–440 ft | $24,000–$40,000 |
| Hayes | 345 ft | 270 ft–410 ft | $19,800–$33,000 |
| Chase | 300 ft | 252 ft–335 ft | $17,400–$29,000 |
| Greeley | 290 ft | 225 ft–358 ft | $16,560–$27,600 |
Most expensive counties to drill in Nebraska
| County | Complete system | Drilling & casing only | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perkins | $24,000–$40,000 | $10,000–$26,000 | 400 ft |
| Hayes | $19,800–$33,000 | $8,250–$21,450 | 345 ft |
| Box Butte | $18,000–$30,000 | $7,500–$19,500 | 286 ft |
| Chase | $17,400–$29,000 | $7,250–$18,850 | 300 ft |
| Greeley | $16,560–$27,600 | $6,900–$17,940 | 290 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 Nebraska 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
- Nebraska well records: NeDNR (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 Nebraska Well Data (nebraskawelldata.com). For a specific county, a custom cut, or the underlying records, email — usually same-day.
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