Research · updated 2026-08-23 · download the county-level CSV
Iowa Well Depth & Drilling Cost Index
Drilling a private water well in Iowa means paying by the foot — so the two questions every well owner asks are how deep and how much. We computed both for all 99 counties with enough records to be reliable, from 227,058 official Iowa DNR well records.
Statewide, the median well reaches 105 ft, and a complete system — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, and hookup — typically runs $11,700–$19,500. But the county spread is large:
Deepest counties to drill in Iowa
| County | Median depth | Typical depth range | Complete system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allamakee | 256 ft | 120 ft–400 ft | $21,600–$36,000 |
| Dubuque | 250 ft | 190 ft–250 ft | $15,000–$25,000 |
| Winneshiek | 240 ft | 144 ft–355 ft | $22,800–$38,000 |
| Benton | 206 ft | 166 ft–321 ft | $18,360–$30,600 |
| Clayton | 200 ft | 113 ft–350 ft | $22,500–$37,500 |
Most expensive counties to drill in Iowa
| County | Complete system | Drilling & casing only | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren | $24,000–$40,000 | $10,000–$26,000 | 34 ft |
| Winneshiek | $22,800–$38,000 | $9,500–$24,700 | 240 ft |
| Clayton | $22,500–$37,500 | $9,375–$24,375 | 200 ft |
| Tama | $22,200–$37,000 | $9,250–$24,050 | 130 ft |
| Allamakee | $21,600–$36,000 | $9,000–$23,400 | 256 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 Iowa 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
- Iowa well records: Iowa DNR (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 Iowa Well Data (iowawelldata.com). For a specific county, a custom cut, or the underlying records, email — usually same-day.
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