Research · updated 2026-08-21 · download the county-level CSV
Missouri Well Depth & Drilling Cost Index
Drilling a private water well in Missouri means paying by the foot — so the two questions every well owner asks are how deep and how much. We computed both for all 107 counties with enough records to be reliable, from 195,527 official MoDNR well records.
Statewide, the median well reaches 335 ft, and a complete system — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, and hookup — typically runs $22,500–$37,500. But the county spread is large:
Deepest counties to drill in Missouri
| County | Median depth | Typical depth range | Complete system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barton | 741 ft | 585 ft–1,245 ft | $42,300–$70,500 |
| Audrain | 630 ft | 548 ft–705 ft | $39,000–$65,000 |
| Mcdonald | 630 ft | 500 ft–760 ft | $42,300–$70,500 |
| St. Charles | 566 ft | 420 ft–680 ft | $36,000–$60,000 |
| Christian | 530 ft | 456 ft–610 ft | $34,200–$57,000 |
Most expensive counties to drill in Missouri
| County | Complete system | Drilling & casing only | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barton | $42,300–$70,500 | $17,625–$45,825 | 741 ft |
| Mcdonald | $42,300–$70,500 | $17,625–$45,825 | 630 ft |
| Audrain | $39,000–$65,000 | $16,250–$42,250 | 630 ft |
| St. Charles | $36,000–$60,000 | $15,000–$39,000 | 566 ft |
| Christian | $34,200–$57,000 | $14,250–$37,050 | 530 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 Missouri 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
- Missouri well records: MoDNR (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 Missouri Well Data (missouriwelldata.com). For a specific county, a custom cut, or the underlying records, email — usually same-day.
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