How deep are water wells in Hays County, Texas?
Half of the home water wells drilled in Hays County in the last 10 years are between 410 and 680 feet deep. The median is 510 feet, based on 1,086 driller reports filed with the state. Drillers measured the water standing a median 290 feet below the surface (872 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)
- 410 to 680 ft
- Median depth
- 510 feet
- Deepest 10% are past
- 850 feet
- Water level (median)
- 290 feet (872 wells)
- Yield (median)
- 30 gallons per minute (2% pump-tested)
- Wells used
- 1,086
- Period
- Last 10 years
- Latest report
- October 23, 2026
- Depth rank
- 14 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 |
|---|---|
| 50 to 100 | 1 |
| 100 to 150 | 7 |
| 150 to 200 | 6 |
| 200 to 250 | 15 |
| 250 to 300 | 22 |
| 300 to 350 | 54 |
| 350 to 400 | 77 |
| 400 to 450 | 157 |
| 450 to 500 | 151 |
| 500 to 550 | 144 |
| 550 to 600 | 83 |
| 600 to 650 | 70 |
| 650 to 700 | 40 |
| 700 to 750 | 32 |
| 750 to 800 | 43 |
| 800 to 850 | 62 |
| 850 to 900 | 54 |
| 900 to 950 | 31 |
| 950 to 1,000 | 25 |
| 1,000 to 1,250 | 12 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 500 | 96 |
| 2003 | 560 | 156 |
| 2004 | 509 | 208 |
| 2005 | 530 | 226 |
| 2006 | 510 | 245 |
| 2007 | 520 | 199 |
| 2008 | 500 | 158 |
| 2009 | 560 | 123 |
| 2010 | 500 | 67 |
| 2011 | 450 | 105 |
| 2012 | 500 | 117 |
| 2013 | 530 | 145 |
| 2014 | 450 | 164 |
| 2015 | 470 | 147 |
| 2016 | 510 | 110 |
| 2017 | 500 | 126 |
| 2018 | 472 | 134 |
| 2019 | 500 | 132 |
| 2020 | 560 | 112 |
| 2021 | 510 | 134 |
| 2022 | 502 | 124 |
| 2023 | 550 | 108 |
| 2024 | 490 | 82 |
| 2025 | 510 | 61 |
| 2026 | 530 | 57 |
Are wells in Hays County getting deeper?
Home well depth in Hays County has not changed meaningfully: the median was 522 feet in 2003 to 2007 and 510 feet in 2021 to 2025 (a difference under 10% or within the margin of error). The water level measured when each well was finished is also lower: 266 feet then, 313 feet now. Read the 20-year study.
Aquifers under the county
The Texas Water Development Board maps the Trinity, a major aquifer, at the surface (outcrop) across 52% of the county and below other rock (subsurface) across 42% of the county; the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone), a major aquifer, at the surface (outcrop) across 22% of the county and below other rock (subsurface) across 11% of the county; the Hickory, a minor aquifer, under 18% of the county.
What a well costs in Hays County
At the median depth for Hays County (510 feet), a complete home well (drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank and hookup at the well) would cost roughly $15,500 to $37,000, 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
- Blanco County: median 410 ft
- Caldwell County: median 260 ft
- Comal County: median 484 ft
- Guadalupe County: median 256 ft
- Travis County: median 445 ft
Common questions
How deep do I need to drill a well in Hays County?
The middle half of home wells drilled there are 410 to 680 feet deep; one in ten goes past 850 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 Hays County?
At the median depth (510 feet), a complete well would cost roughly $15,500 to $37,000 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 Hays County?
Drillers reported a median of 30 gallons per minute (958 wells). Only 2% of those figures come from a pump test; the rest are the driller's estimate, so treat them as a guide.
Are wells in Hays County getting deeper?
Home well depth in Hays County has not changed meaningfully: the median was 522 feet in 2003 to 2007 and 510 feet in 2021 to 2025 (a difference under 10% or within the margin of error). The water level measured when each well was finished is also lower: 266 feet then, 313 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