Pool swim season in Gulfport, MS
Swim season in Gulfport without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Gulfport reaches 78°F in Jun to Sep, about 4 months a year. The air allows up to 9 swimmable months with a heater (Mar to Nov).
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Heater options for a Gulfport pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 7 | Apr to Oct | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $269 | $819 |
| Gas heater + cover | 9 | Mar to Nov | $572 | $997 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at MS prices of 15.1¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Gulfport
Heat pump + cover: 9 of 9 possible months for about $819 a year all-in, which works out near $164 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 a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Gulfport - Biloxi Airport, 0.9 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Gulfport 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 | 61° | 52° | 3.0 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| Feb | 65° | 56° | 3.5 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Mar | 70° | 61° | 4.7 | 60° | 66° | $128 | $270 |
| Apr | 77° | 68° | 5.7 | 67° | 73° | $59 | $134 |
| May | 84° | 75° | 6.4 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Jun | 89° | 81° | 6.2 | 81° | 87° | – | – |
| Jul | 90° | 83° | 5.9 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Aug | 91° | 83° | 5.6 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Sep | 88° | 79° | 5.2 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Oct | 80° | 70° | 4.5 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Nov | 70° | 60° | 3.5 | 65° | 71° | $82 | $168 |
| Dec | 64° | 54° | 2.7 | 57° | 63° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Mar (about $128 with a heat pump, $270 with gas). Sunshine peaks in May at 6.4 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 42.3 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Gulfport compares with nearby cities
Gulfport ranks 4 of 41 Mississippi cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach, MS | 7 mi | 4 | 7 | $56 |
| Biloxi, MS | 8 mi | 4 | 7 | $53 |
| D'Iberville, MS | 10 mi | 4 | 7 | $53 |
| Ocean Springs, MS | 17 mi | 4 | 7 | $53 |
| Bay St. Louis, MS | 19 mi | 4 | 7 | $76 |
| Gautier, MS | 24 mi | 4 | 9 | $278 |