The National Association of Home Builders analyzed Survey of Construction data to find how many single-family homes in 2017 were built with individual wells and private septic systems. According to the organization, about 9% of new homes were constructed with a well and more than 16% of 2017 homes have septic systems. The shares of private wells/septics vary widely across the Census divisions with the highest occurrence rates in New England with 39% and 43%. The remaining majority of new homes are served by public water systems.
In New England, where new homes sit on nation’s largest lots, 39% of new single-family homes are built on individual wells. The reliance on private wells is also relatively common in the East North Central division where 27% of new single-family homes started in 2017 are built on individual wells. The Middle Atlantic division registers the third highest share of homes built on individual wells with the share of 15%. Four out of the nine divisions exceed the national average of 9%, including New England, East North Central, Middle Atlantic and South Atlantic.
In contrast, individual wells that are not shared are almost non-existent in the East South Central and West South Central divisions where their shares are under 1% and 2%, respectively.
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