How deep are water wells in Abilene, Texas?

Q: How much does a water well cost in Abilene?

At the median depth (42 feet), a complete well would cost roughly $3,500 to $9,000, by TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas driller prices. The real price comes from a licensed driller's quote.

Q: How deep is the water in Abilene?

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 23 feet below the surface (17 wells). The level moves with drought and from one well to the next.

Q: Do I need a permit to drill a well in Abilene?

In the state's boundary file (current as of November 2019) no groundwater conservation district covers Abilene. Districts created or enlarged since then are missing from that file, so confirm with the county or TWDB before drilling. Anywhere in Texas the well must be drilled by a licensed driller, who files the report with the state.

Home water wells in and around Abilene, Texas are typically 38 to 48 feet deep (median 42 ft, 39 wells reported since 2001). Estimated cost of a complete well at the median depth: $3,500 to $9,000.

Updated every day from Texas Water Development Board driller reports. Last update: November 11, 2026, using the state file of November 10, 2026.

See the wells and layers at an exact point Taylor County

Under Abilene, Taylor County

The well and the water are the median of 39 real wells. This atlas does not have a state layer model for this area yet.

Home wells in and around Abilene

Each dot is a home well from a state driller report, colored by depth. Tap one for its details and official report. Tap an empty spot to see what is under that point.

See underground

Well depth (ft)

<100
100
200
300
400
600
800+

Dashed line: Abilene and about 2 miles around it

Key figures

Typical depth (middle half): 38 to 48 feet
Median depth: 42 feet
Deepest 10% are past: 50 feet
Water level (median): 23 feet; 17 wells
Yield (median): 25 gpm; 22 wells, gallons per minute
Wells used: 39; Since 2001
Inside the city limits: 22; the rest within 2 miles
All years on file: 39; median 42 ft, since 2002
Confidence: Standard (30 or more wells)

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 23 feet below the surface (17 wells).

The well and the water are the median of 39 real wells. This atlas does not have a state layer model for this area yet.

Which formation do wells in Abilene draw from?

We cannot say yet for Abilene. This atlas assigns layers with the TWDB layered models processed so far (the Northern Trinity and Woodbine model, the Hill Country Trinity model, the northern Gulf Coast Aquifer model and the High Plains Aquifer System model), and none covers this area with enough wells. The depth, water level and yield on this page do come from the real wells here.

See the aquifers mapped under Taylor County

Depth over time

There are not enough wells in both 2003 to 2007 and 2021 to 2025 (at least 30 in each) to say with confidence whether wells in and around Abilene are getting deeper. For reference, the median was 48 feet in 2011 to 2015 (11 wells) and 40 feet in 2021 to 2025 (11 wells).

Period	Median depth (ft)	Wells
2001–2005	under 10 wells	6
2006–2010	under 10 wells	6
2011–2015	48	11
2016–2020	under 10 wells	3
2021–2025	40	11
2026	under 10 wells	2

What a well costs in Abilene

At the median depth for Abilene (42 feet), a complete home well would cost roughly $3,500 to $9,000: $25 to $60 per foot for drilling, casing and seal, plus $2,500 to $6,500 for the pump, pressure tank, controls and hookup at the well. Across the whole middle half of depths (38 to 48 feet) the range runs from $3,500 to $9,500. This is TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas prices, not a quote, and it leaves out trenching and the line to the house. Get prices from at least two licensed drillers.

Where it sits

Nearby places

Median depth of home wells in each place.

Hawley 35 ft
Buffalo Gap 46 ft
Clyde 50 ft
Merkel 100 ft
Anson 75 ft
Winters 40 ft

All Texas cities and towns

Common questions

How deep do you have to drill a well in Abilene, Texas?

Home water wells in and around Abilene, Texas are typically 38 to 48 feet deep (median 42 ft, 39 wells reported since 2001). One in ten goes past 50 feet. The depth a given tract needs depends on where it sits and what layers the driller hits.

How much does a water well cost in Abilene?

At the median depth (42 feet), a complete well would cost roughly $3,500 to $9,000, by TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas driller prices. The real price comes from a licensed driller's quote.

How deep is the water in Abilene?

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 23 feet below the surface (17 wells). The level moves with drought and from one well to the next.

Do I need a permit to drill a well in Abilene?

In the state's boundary file (current as of November 2019) no groundwater conservation district covers Abilene. Districts created or enlarged since then are missing from that file, so confirm with the county or TWDB before drilling. Anywhere in Texas the well must be drilled by a licensed driller, who files the report with the state.

How these numbers are made

We count new and replacement domestic (home) wells whose coordinates fall inside the place boundary or within 2 miles of it. We use the last 10 years when there are at least 30 wells; otherwise all since 2001. The median is the middle well and the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

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.

Read the full methodology · Download the data (CSV, CC BY 4.0)

How to cite

TerraFunded (2026). Texas Well Atlas: Underground. From Texas Water Development Board driller reports and groundwater availability models (data as of November 10, 2026). https://terrafunded.com/wells/places/abilene-tx. License CC BY 4.0. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24126380.