Pool swim season in Kansas City, MO
Swim season in Kansas City without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Kansas City reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Kansas City
| 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 | 5 | May to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $78 | $628 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $168 | $593 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at MO prices of 14.3¢/kWh electricity and $15/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Kansas City
Solar cover only: 4 of 5 possible months for about $50 a year all-in, which works out near $25 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: Kansas City Dwtn Airport, 2.1 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Kansas City 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 | 40° | 31° | 2.1 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
| Feb | 45° | 36° | 3.0 | 33° | 39° | – | – |
| Mar | 57° | 46° | 3.9 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Apr | 67° | 57° | 5.0 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| May | 76° | 67° | 5.7 | 64° | 70° | $78 | $168 |
| Jun | 86° | 77° | 6.5 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Jul | 90° | 81° | 6.5 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Aug | 89° | 79° | 5.7 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 71° | 4.8 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Oct | 68° | 58° | 3.4 | 65° | 71° | – | – |
| Nov | 55° | 45° | 2.4 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| Dec | 44° | 35° | 1.9 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $78 with a heat pump, $168 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.5 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 41.9 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Kansas City compares with nearby cities
Kansas City ranks 2 of 80 Missouri cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladstone, MO | 6 mi | 2 | 5 | $78 |
| Mission, KS | 9 mi | 2 | 5 | $83 |
| Raytown, MO | 10 mi | 2 | 5 | $93 |
| Kansas City, KS | 10 mi | 2 | 5 | $83 |
| Prairie Village, KS | 11 mi | 2 | 5 | $108 |
| Liberty, MO | 11 mi | 2 | 5 | $125 |