Research · updated 2026-08-17 · download the county-level CSV
Tennessee Well Depth & Drilling Cost Index
Drilling a private water well in Tennessee means paying by the foot — so the two questions every well owner asks are how deep and how much. We computed both for all 95 counties with enough records to be reliable, from 282,596 official TDEC well records.
Statewide, the median well reaches 160 ft, and a complete system — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, and hookup — typically runs $13,200–$22,000. But the county spread is large:
Deepest counties to drill in Tennessee
| County | Median depth | Typical depth range | Complete system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 289 ft | 188 ft–420 ft | $24,300–$40,500 |
| Claiborne | 285 ft | 184 ft–400 ft | $19,500–$32,500 |
| Jefferson | 280 ft | 180 ft–405 ft | $20,700–$34,500 |
| Sevier | 280 ft | 170 ft–450 ft | $25,500–$42,500 |
| Grainger | 270 ft | 185 ft–400 ft | $20,700–$34,500 |
Most expensive counties to drill in Tennessee
| County | Complete system | Drilling & casing only | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sevier | $25,500–$42,500 | $10,625–$27,625 | 280 ft |
| Sullivan | $24,300–$40,500 | $10,125–$26,325 | 248 ft |
| Washington | $24,300–$40,500 | $10,125–$26,325 | 289 ft |
| Roane | $23,100–$38,500 | $9,625–$25,025 | 220 ft |
| Loudon | $21,600–$36,000 | $9,000–$23,400 | 260 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 Tennessee 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
- Tennessee well records: TDEC (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 Tennessee Well Data (tennesseewelldata.com). For a specific county, a custom cut, or the underlying records, email [email protected] — usually same-day.
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