Pool swim season in Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati, OH: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Cincinnati never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 78°F in Aug. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Cincinnati
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $174 | $724 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $257 | $682 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at OH prices of 18.8¢/kWh electricity and $14/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Cincinnati
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $71 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 3 months here for about $50 a year (why a cover comes first). If you get quotes, ask for gas as well as a heat pump: once the purchase price is counted, gas comes out cheaper all-in here (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Cincinnati Municipal Airport Lunken Field, 5.4 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Cincinnati month by month: air, sun and pool water
| Month | Air high | Air avg | Sun kWh/m²/day | Water, unheated | Water, covered | Heat pump $ | Gas $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41° | 32° | 1.8 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Feb | 45° | 35° | 2.6 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Mar | 55° | 44° | 3.6 | 40° | 46° | – | – |
| Apr | 67° | 55° | 4.9 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| May | 75° | 64° | 5.5 | 62° | 68° | $135 | $196 |
| Jun | 83° | 72° | 6.2 | 71° | 77° | $27 | $43 |
| Jul | 87° | 76° | 6.1 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Aug | 86° | 75° | 5.5 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 68° | 4.6 | 73° | 79° | $12 | $18 |
| Oct | 68° | 56° | 3.2 | 62° | 68° | – | – |
| Nov | 55° | 45° | 2.2 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Dec | 45° | 36° | 1.5 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $135 with a heat pump, $196 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 40.0 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Cincinnati compares with nearby cities
Cincinnati ranks 7 of 176 Ohio cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwood, OH | 3 mi | 0 | 5 | $174 |
| Newport, KY | 4 mi | 0 | 5 | $131 |
| Fort Thomas, KY | 5 mi | 0 | 5 | $131 |
| Reading, OH | 7 mi | 0 | 5 | $174 |
| Covington, KY | 7 mi | 0 | 5 | $131 |
| Erlanger, KY | 9 mi | 0 | 5 | $127 |