How deep are water wells in Bell County, Texas?
Half of the home water wells drilled in Bell County in the last 10 years are between 199 and 840 feet deep. The median is 560 feet, based on 517 driller reports filed with the state. Note that wells here split between shallow and very deep ones, so the median alone can mislead. Search the exact point of the land. Drillers measured the water standing a median 240 feet below the surface (295 wells). That is deeper than the Texas median of 250 feet.
Updated every day from Texas Water Development Board driller reports. Last update: November 10, 2026, using the state file of November 9, 2026. These are depths of real wells drilled nearby, not a promise about any property. Groundwater can change over short distances and with drought. A licensed water well driller can tell you what to expect on a specific tract.
Key figures
- Typical depth (middle half)
- 199 to 840 ft
- Median depth
- 560 feet
- Deepest 10% are past
- 890 feet
- Water level (median)
- 240 feet (295 wells)
- Yield (median)
- 30 gallons per minute (8% pump-tested)
- Wells used
- 517
- Period
- Last 10 years
- Latest report
- September 30, 2026
- Depth rank
- 6 of 245 (1 = deepest)
- Confidence
- Standard
How deep the wells are
Number of home wells by depth, last 10 years (or since 2001 where wells are few).
| Depth (ft) | Wells |
|---|---|
| 0 to 50 | 23 |
| 50 to 100 | 33 |
| 100 to 150 | 40 |
| 150 to 200 | 34 |
| 200 to 250 | 18 |
| 250 to 300 | 3 |
| 300 to 350 | 12 |
| 350 to 400 | 18 |
| 400 to 450 | 23 |
| 450 to 500 | 25 |
| 500 to 550 | 23 |
| 550 to 600 | 30 |
| 600 to 650 | 28 |
| 650 to 700 | 11 |
| 700 to 750 | 12 |
| 750 to 800 | 31 |
| 800 to 850 | 37 |
| 850 to 900 | 78 |
| 900 to 950 | 33 |
| 950 to 1,000 | 2 |
| 1,000 to 1,250 | 3 |
Median depth by year
Median depth of home wells finished each year. Years with fewer than 10 wells are not shown.
| Year | Median (ft) | Wells |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 465 | 56 |
| 2004 | 580 | 64 |
| 2005 | 630 | 85 |
| 2006 | 760 | 69 |
| 2007 | 680 | 55 |
| 2008 | 485 | 39 |
| 2009 | 485 | 35 |
| 2010 | 482 | 47 |
| 2011 | 522 | 58 |
| 2012 | 573 | 42 |
| 2013 | 380 | 42 |
| 2014 | 200 | 47 |
| 2015 | 475 | 46 |
| 2016 | 438 | 39 |
| 2017 | 535 | 43 |
| 2018 | 375 | 50 |
| 2019 | 325 | 51 |
| 2020 | 505 | 42 |
| 2021 | 702 | 78 |
| 2022 | 625 | 72 |
| 2023 | 600 | 54 |
| 2024 | 540 | 57 |
| 2025 | 580 | 43 |
| 2026 | 510 | 21 |
Are wells in Bell County getting deeper?
Home well depth in Bell County has not changed meaningfully: the median was 672 feet in 2003 to 2007 and 615 feet in 2021 to 2025 (a difference under 10% or within the margin of error). The water level has not changed meaningfully (280 feet then, 285 feet now). Read the 20-year study.
Aquifers under the county
The Texas Water Development Board maps the Trinity, a major aquifer, below other rock (subsurface) across 94% of the county and at the surface (outcrop) across 6% of the county; the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone), a major aquifer, at the surface (outcrop) across 9% of the county.
What a well costs in Bell County
At the median depth for Bell County (560 feet), a complete home well (drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank and hookup at the well) would cost roughly $16,500 to $40,000, by TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas prices. Trenching and the line to the house are extra. Get quotes from at least two licensed drillers.
Neighboring counties
- Burnet County: median 350 ft
- Coryell County: median 480 ft
- Falls County: median 65 ft
- Lampasas County: median 346 ft
- McLennan County: median 1,100 ft
- Milam County: median 422 ft
- Williamson County: median 553 ft
Common questions
How deep do I need to drill a well in Bell County?
The middle half of home wells drilled there are 199 to 840 feet deep; one in ten goes past 890 feet. The depth a given tract needs depends on where it is and what layers the driller hits.
How much does a water well cost in Bell County?
At the median depth (560 feet), a complete well would cost roughly $16,500 to $40,000 by TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas driller prices ($25 to $60 per foot plus pump and equipment). The real price comes from a driller's quote.
How much water does a well produce in Bell County?
Drillers reported a median of 30 gallons per minute (474 wells). Only 8% of those figures come from a pump test; the rest are the driller's estimate, so treat them as a guide.
Are wells in Bell County getting deeper?
Home well depth in Bell County has not changed meaningfully: the median was 672 feet in 2003 to 2007 and 615 feet in 2021 to 2025 (a difference under 10% or within the margin of error). The water level has not changed meaningfully (280 feet then, 285 feet now).
How do I see the well report for a property or a neighbor's well?
Every well drilled in Texas since 2001 has a public driller's report. On this page's map, tap a well to open its official report on the state's site, or look it up by location in the TWDB viewer.
How to read these numbers
Figures cover new and replacement domestic (home) wells, from the reports licensed drillers file with the state. Read the full methodology. Download the county table (CSV).
How to cite: TerraFunded Texas Well Atlas, from Texas Water Development Board driller reports (data as of November 9, 2026). https://terrafunded.com/wells
Sources
- Texas Water Development Board, Submitted Driller's Reports database (file of 2026-11-10)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:500,000) (file of 2025-04-10)
- Texas Water Development Board, major aquifers (updated December 2006) (file of 2007-01-03)
- Texas Water Development Board, minor aquifers (updated December 2017) (file of 2017-12-15)
- TWDB well report viewer