Pool swim season in New Bedford, MA
New Bedford, MA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in New Bedford never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 74°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in New Bedford
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 1 | Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $310 | $860 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $521 | $946 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at MA prices of 30.2¢/kWh electricity and $25/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in New Bedford
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 4 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 1 month 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: NEW Bedford Municipal Airport, 1.7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
New Bedford 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 | 39° | 30° | 1.8 | 31° | 37° | – | – |
| Feb | 41° | 31° | 2.7 | 30° | 36° | – | – |
| Mar | 47° | 38° | 3.7 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Apr | 57° | 47° | 4.9 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
| May | 67° | 57° | 5.5 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Jun | 76° | 66° | 5.9 | 64° | 70° | $171 | $287 |
| Jul | 83° | 72° | 6.0 | 72° | 78° | $33 | $61 |
| Aug | 81° | 71° | 5.4 | 74° | 80° | $4 | $7 |
| Sep | 74° | 63° | 4.4 | 68° | 74° | $102 | $166 |
| Oct | 64° | 53° | 3.0 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Nov | 54° | 43° | 2.0 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| Dec | 44° | 35° | 1.5 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $171 with a heat pump, $287 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.0 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 40.6 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How New Bedford compares with nearby cities
New Bedford ranks 36 of 58 Massachusetts cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall River, MA | 9 mi | 0 | 4 | $302 |
| Taunton, MA | 19 mi | 0 | 4 | $214 |
| Bridgewater Town, MA | 22 mi | 0 | 4 | $365 |
| Newport, RI | 23 mi | 0 | 4 | $293 |
| East Providence, RI | 24 mi | 0 | 4 | $171 |
| Warwick, RI | 25 mi | 0 | 4 | $171 |