Pool swim season in West Palm Beach, FL
West Palm Beach, FL: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in West Palm Beach reaches 78°F in May to Oct, about 6 months a year. The air allows up to 12 swimmable months with a heater (all year).
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Heater options for a West Palm Beach pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 6 | May to Oct | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 9 | Mar to Nov | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 12 | all year | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 12 | all year | $135 | $685 |
| Gas heater + cover | 12 | all year | $469 | $894 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at FL prices of 15.3¢/kWh electricity and $25/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in West Palm Beach
Solar panels + cover: 12 of 12 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $47 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 3 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: W Palm Beach International Airport, 4.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
West Palm Beach 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 | 75° | 66° | 3.5 | 68° | 74° | $51 | $171 |
| Feb | 77° | 68° | 4.3 | 69° | 75° | $45 | $158 |
| Mar | 79° | 71° | 5.3 | 72° | 78° | $16 | $59 |
| Apr | 82° | 75° | 6.0 | 76° | 82° | – | – |
| May | 86° | 79° | 6.1 | 80° | 86° | – | – |
| Jun | 88° | 82° | 5.5 | 83° | 89° | – | – |
| Jul | 90° | 83° | 5.7 | 85° | 91° | – | – |
| Aug | 90° | 83° | 5.4 | 86° | 92° | – | – |
| Sep | 88° | 82° | 4.8 | 84° | 90° | – | – |
| Oct | 85° | 79° | 4.4 | 82° | 88° | – | – |
| Nov | 80° | 73° | 3.7 | 77° | 83° | – | – |
| Dec | 77° | 69° | 3.3 | 71° | 77° | $23 | $81 |
Heating costs most in Jan (about $51 with a heat pump, $171 with gas). Sunshine peaks in May at 6.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 46.0 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How West Palm Beach compares with nearby cities
West Palm Beach ranks 79 of 173 Florida cities for unheated swim months, and no nearby city gets a longer unheated season.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riviera Beach, FL | 4 mi | 5 | 12 | $201 |
| North Palm Beach, FL | 7 mi | 6 | 12 | $139 |
| Royal Palm Beach, FL | 7 mi | 6 | 12 | $135 |
| Palm Beach Gardens, FL | 8 mi | 5 | 12 | $201 |
| Palm Springs, FL | 8 mi | 6 | 12 | $135 |
| Greenacres, FL | 8 mi | 6 | 12 | $135 |