Research · updated 2026-08-14 · download the county-level CSV
New Mexico Well Depth & Drilling Cost Index
Drilling a private water well in New Mexico means paying by the foot — so the two questions every well owner asks are how deep and how much. We computed both for all 33 counties with enough records to be reliable, from 196,593 official OSE well records.
Statewide, the median well reaches 177 ft, and a complete system — drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank, and hookup — typically runs $12,600–$21,000. But the county spread is large:
Deepest counties to drill in New Mexico
| County | Median depth | Typical depth range | Complete system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curry | 390 ft | 340 ft–416 ft | $22,980–$38,300 |
| Mckinley | 380 ft | 153 ft–700 ft | $7,920–$13,200 |
| Los Alamos | 325 ft | 59 ft–1,075 ft | $3,360–$5,600 |
| Union | 300 ft | 160 ft–416 ft | $18,000–$30,000 |
| Santa Fe | 260 ft | 140 ft–411 ft | $21,600–$36,000 |
Most expensive counties to drill in New Mexico
| County | Complete system | Drilling & casing only | Median depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curry | $22,980–$38,300 | $9,575–$24,895 | 390 ft |
| Santa Fe | $21,600–$36,000 | $9,000–$23,400 | 260 ft |
| Catron | $20,880–$34,800 | $8,700–$22,620 | 210 ft |
| Grant | $20,700–$34,500 | $8,625–$22,425 | 210 ft |
| Torrance | $19,200–$32,000 | $8,000–$20,800 | 214 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 New Mexico 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
- New Mexico well records: OSE (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 New Mexico Well Data (newmexicowelldata.com). For a specific county, a custom cut, or the underlying records, email [email protected] — usually same-day.
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