Pool swim season in Ocean City, NJ
Swim season in Ocean City without a heater, and with one
An unheated pool in Ocean City reaches 78°F in Jul to Aug, about 2 months a year. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Ocean City
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 2 | Jul to Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $46 | $596 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $59 | $484 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at NJ prices of 24.1¢/kWh electricity and $14/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Ocean City
Solar cover only: 3 of 4 possible months for about $50 a year all-in, which works out near $50 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 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: Margate, 7 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Ocean 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 | 43° | 37° | 2.0 | 38° | 44° | – | – |
| Feb | 45° | 38° | 2.9 | 37° | 43° | – | – |
| Mar | 51° | 44° | 3.9 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
| Apr | 61° | 53° | 5.0 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| May | 70° | 62° | 5.6 | 60° | 66° | – | – |
| Jun | 80° | 73° | 6.1 | 70° | 76° | $46 | $59 |
| Jul | 85° | 78° | 6.2 | 79° | 85° | – | – |
| Aug | 84° | 77° | 5.4 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Sep | 78° | 71° | 4.4 | 75° | 81° | – | – |
| Oct | 67° | 60° | 3.1 | 65° | 71° | – | – |
| Nov | 57° | 49° | 2.3 | 54° | 60° | – | – |
| Dec | 48° | 41° | 1.8 | 44° | 50° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $46 with a heat pump, $59 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 6.2 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 27.0 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Ocean City compares with nearby cities
Ocean City ranks 6 of 116 New Jersey cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somers Point, NJ | 3 mi | 2 | 4 | $46 |
| Pleasantville, NJ | 10 mi | 2 | 4 | $46 |
| Atlantic City, NJ | 11 mi | 0 | 4 | $83 |
| Vineland, NJ | 25 mi | 0 | 5 | $293 |
| Millville, NJ | 26 mi | 0 | 5 | $291 |
| Hammonton, NJ | 28 mi | 0 | 5 | $295 |