Research · updated 2026-08-28 · download the county-level CSV
South Carolina Well Depth & Drilling Cost Index
Drilling a private water well in South Carolina means paying by the foot — so the two questions every well owner asks are how deep and how much. We computed both for all 38 counties with enough records to be reliable, from 18,415 official USGS NWIS well records.
Statewide, the median well reaches 160 ft, and a complete system — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, and hookup — typically runs $9,600–$16,000. But the county spread is large:
Deepest counties to drill in South Carolina
| County | Median depth | Typical depth range | Complete system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleton | 460 ft | 380 ft–530 ft | $27,600–$46,000 |
| Georgetown | 450 ft | 71 ft–664 ft | $27,000–$45,000 |
| Dorchester | 360 ft | 280 ft–421 ft | $21,600–$36,000 |
| Allendale | 321 ft | 230 ft–592 ft | $19,260–$32,100 |
| Charleston | 303 ft | 48 ft–540 ft | $18,180–$30,300 |
Most expensive counties to drill in South Carolina
| County | Complete system | Drilling & casing only | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleton | $27,600–$46,000 | $11,500–$29,900 | 460 ft |
| Georgetown | $27,000–$45,000 | $11,250–$29,250 | 450 ft |
| Dorchester | $21,600–$36,000 | $9,000–$23,400 | 360 ft |
| Allendale | $19,260–$32,100 | $8,025–$20,865 | 321 ft |
| Charleston | $18,180–$30,300 | $7,575–$19,695 | 303 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 South Carolina 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
- South Carolina 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 South Carolina Well Data (southcarolinawelldata.com). For a specific county, a custom cut, or the underlying records, email — usually same-day.
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