Inground Swimming Pool Prices and Info by State

Piggy bank wearing swim goggles in front of a blue background

Owning an inground swimming pool can be a vastly different experience depending on where you live. Of all the variables that determine how much an inground pool costs, geography is perhaps the biggest. Construction expenses vary by location, along with the cost of permits, fees, and any safety equipment required by local laws. Even the amount of chemicals you go through in a typical month can change based on the climate of the area in which you live.

But that’s not all. Your location also plays a major role in your decision on whether to get an inground swimming pool in the first place. In particular, your local weather determines how many days out of the year you will be able to use your pool. The less use you get out of your pool, the harder it is to justify the high cost of installation.

At least, that’s one way of thinking about it. For many homeowners, several months of swimming each year is plenty. Keeping a swimming pool open year-round means more chemicals and more maintenance. For these people, the value of an extra month or two of swimming means little or nothing.

On top of everything else, there are property values to consider. An inground pool is a permanent feature on your property. While it always increases the value of your home, how much it increases it can depend on where you live. It can also impact your ability to sell your home. In warm, dry parts of the United States, for example, a swimming pool is virtually a must for any home. Up north, it can actually make it harder to sell.

Here’s a state-by-state look at pool ownership – including cost, climate, and other factors that might weigh on your decision to build an inground pool. While nothing substitutes for getting quotes from swimming pool contractors in your area, these articles will at least get you started.

State Swimming Season Avg. Days of Precipitation Labor Costs
Alabama Long 121 (Mobile) Low
Alaska Short 115 (Anchorage) Low
Arizona Long 36 (Phoenix) Average
Arkansas Long 97 (Little Rock) Low
California Long 35 (Los Angeles) High
Colorado Medium 89 (Denver) Average
Connecticut Short 127 (Hartford) Very High
Delaware Short 117 (Wilmington) Average
Florida Year-Round 131 (Miami) Low
Georgia Long 115 (Atlanta) Average
Hawaii Year-Round 96 (Honolulu) Very High
Idaho Short 89 (Boise) Average
Illinois Medium 125 (Chicago) High
Indiana Medium 126 (Indianapolis) High
Iowa Medium 108 (Des Moines) Average
Kansas Medium 86 (Wichita) Average
Kentucky Long 124 (Louisville) Average
Louisiana Long 114 (New Orleans) Low
Maine Short 129 (Portland) Average
Minnesota Short 116 (Minneapolis/St. Paul) High
Maryland Medium 114 (Baltimore) Average
Massachusetts Medium 126 (Boston) Very High
Michigan Short 135 (Detroit) High
Missouri Medium 112 (Columbia) High
Montana Short 95 (Helena) High
Nebraska Medium 93 (Lincoln) Very Low
New Hampshire Short 127 (Concord) High
New Jersey Medium 122 (Newark) Very High
New Mexico Very Long 62 (Albuquerque) Low
New York Short 160 (Rochester) High
Nevada Very Long 26 (Las Vegas) Very High
North Carolina Long 111 (Charlotte) Average
North Dakota Short 101 (Fargo) Average
Ohio Medium 137 (Columbus) High
Oklahoma Long 83 (Oklahoma City) Low
Oregon Short 152 (Portland) High
Pennsylvania Medium 117 (Philadelphia) High
Rhode Island Short 124 (Providence) High
South Carolina Long 104 (Charleston) Low
South Dakota Short 98 (Sioux Falls) Very Low
Tennessee Long 107 (Memphis) Low
Texas Long 79 (Dallas/Ft. Worth) Low
Utah Long 91 (Salt Lake City) Low
Vermont Short 154 (Burlington) Average
Virginia Medium 113 (Richmond) Low
Washington Short 151 (Seattle) Very High
West Virginia Medium 151 (Charleston) Average
Wisconsin Short 125 (Milwaukee) High
Wyoming Short 95 (Cheyenne) Average

Swimming Season: Rough estimate of how many days out of the year are warm enough to swim. Obviously, the pool owner’s personal preferences will ultimately determine when it’s time to open and close the pool.

Avg. Days of Precipitation: Average number of days of precipitation per year based on NOAA data for a representative city. Obviously, in larger states like California and Texas, climate will vary quite a bit from one place to another.

Labor Costs: Construction labor costs relative to the national average, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For details, see State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.