Pool swim season in Medford, OR
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Medford, OR?
An unheated pool in Medford reaches 78°F in Aug, about 1 month 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
What each heater buys you in Medford
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 1 | Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $305 | $855 |
| Gas heater + cover | 6 | May to Oct | $616 | $1,041 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at OR prices of 15.5¢/kWh electricity and $17/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Medford
Heat pump + cover: 6 of 6 possible months for about $855 a year all-in, which works out near $171 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: Medford International Airport, 3 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Medford 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 | 48° | 40° | 1.7 | 39° | 45° | – | – |
| Feb | 54° | 44° | 2.6 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Mar | 59° | 48° | 3.7 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| Apr | 65° | 53° | 5.2 | 53° | 59° | – | – |
| May | 74° | 60° | 6.5 | 60° | 66° | $132 | $269 |
| Jun | 82° | 67° | 7.6 | 68° | 74° | $50 | $111 |
| Jul | 92° | 75° | 8.0 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| Aug | 91° | 75° | 6.9 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Sep | 84° | 68° | 5.3 | 73° | 79° | $5 | $11 |
| Oct | 70° | 56° | 3.5 | 62° | 68° | $118 | $225 |
| Nov | 54° | 45° | 2.0 | 50° | 56° | – | – |
| Dec | 46° | 39° | 1.4 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $132 with a heat pump, $269 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 8.0 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 34.2 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Medford compares with nearby cities
Medford ranks 2 of 57 Oregon cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Point, OR | 4 mi | 1 | 6 | $305 |
| Ashland, OR | 13 mi | 0 | 5 | $375 |
| Grants Pass, OR | 25 mi | 0 | 5 | $217 |
| Klamath Falls, OR | 55 mi | 0 | 4 | $316 |
| Roseburg, OR | 66 mi | 0 | 5 | $262 |
| Coos Bay, OR | 101 mi | 0 | 0 | $0 |