How deep are water wells in Starr County, Texas?
Half of the home water wells drilled in Starr County in the last 10 years are between 428 and 492 feet deep. The median is 460 feet, based on 46 driller reports filed with the state. Drillers measured the water standing a median 167 feet below the surface (41 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)
- 428 to 492 ft
- Median depth
- 460 feet
- Deepest 10% are past
- 522 feet
- Water level (median)
- 167 feet (41 wells)
- Yield (median)
- 30 gallons per minute (0% pump-tested)
- Wells used
- 46
- Period
- Last 10 years
- Latest report
- January 16, 2026
- Depth rank
- 32 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 |
|---|---|
| 100 to 150 | 4 |
| 150 to 200 | 2 |
| 300 to 350 | 3 |
| 400 to 450 | 6 |
| 450 to 500 | 19 |
| 500 to 550 | 8 |
| 550 to 600 | 2 |
| 600 to 650 | 2 |
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 | 460 | 31 |
| 2004 | 500 | 18 |
| 2005 | 400 | 30 |
| 2007 | 490 | 14 |
| 2008 | 500 | 11 |
| 2009 | 480 | 11 |
| 2011 | 360 | 16 |
| 2012 | 420 | 15 |
| 2013 | 460 | 13 |
| 2021 | 465 | 14 |
Are wells in Starr County getting deeper?
Home well depth in Starr County has not changed meaningfully: the median was 440 feet in 2003 to 2007 and 462 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: 107 feet then, 210 feet now. Read the 20-year study.
Aquifers under the county
The Texas Water Development Board maps the Gulf Coast, a major aquifer, at the surface (outcrop) across 78% of the county; the Yegua-Jackson, a minor aquifer, under 22% of the county.
What a well costs in Starr County
At the median depth for Starr County (460 feet), a complete home well (drilling, casing, pump, pressure tank and hookup at the well) would cost roughly $14,000 to $34,000, 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
- Brooks County: median 431 ft
- Hidalgo County: median 320 ft
- Jim Hogg County: median 360 ft
- Zapata County: median 500 ft
Common questions
How deep do I need to drill a well in Starr County?
The middle half of home wells drilled there are 428 to 492 feet deep; one in ten goes past 522 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 Starr County?
At the median depth (460 feet), a complete well would cost roughly $14,000 to $34,000 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 Starr County?
Drillers reported a median of 30 gallons per minute (43 wells). Only 0% of those figures come from a pump test; the rest are the driller's estimate, so treat them as a guide.
Are wells in Starr County getting deeper?
Home well depth in Starr County has not changed meaningfully: the median was 440 feet in 2003 to 2007 and 462 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: 107 feet then, 210 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