Pool swim season in Evansville, IN
Evansville, IN: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Evansville reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 6 swimmable months with a heater (May to Oct).
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Heater options for a Evansville pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $136 | $686 |
| Gas heater + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $184 | $609 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at IN prices of 17.0¢/kWh electricity and $11/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Evansville
Solar panels + cover: 6 of 6 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 2 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: Evansville Museum, 2.6 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Evansville 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 | 42° | 35° | 2.1 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Feb | 48° | 39° | 2.7 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
| Mar | 58° | 48° | 3.8 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Apr | 70° | 60° | 5.1 | 56° | 62° | – | – |
| May | 78° | 68° | 5.7 | 67° | 73° | $71 | $100 |
| Jun | 87° | 77° | 6.4 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Jul | 89° | 80° | 6.2 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Aug | 89° | 79° | 5.6 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Sep | 84° | 73° | 4.7 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Oct | 72° | 62° | 3.5 | 68° | 74° | $65 | $84 |
| Nov | 58° | 49° | 2.5 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Dec | 47° | 40° | 1.8 | 43° | 49° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $71 with a heat pump, $100 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 54.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Evansville compares with nearby cities
Evansville ranks 1 of 88 Indiana cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson, KY | 11 mi | 2 | 6 | $161 |
| Owensboro, KY | 28 mi | 2 | 6 | $153 |
| Jasper, IN | 43 mi | 2 | 6 | $185 |
| Madisonville, KY | 45 mi | 2 | 7 | $258 |
| Vincennes, IN | 48 mi | 2 | 6 | $215 |
| Washington, IN | 51 mi | 2 | 5 | $93 |