These two Texas cities rank in the top 10 of best American places to own a swimming pool
After one of the hottest summers in the history of Dallas-Fort Worth, dreams of building a swimming pool in the backyard has to be high on Texans’ wish lists to keep things cool the next time hellish heat visits North Texas.
According to experts from Pool Gnome, a swimming pool company, 40 Texas cities made the 2023 Best Cities to Own a Swimming Pool list. They “compared over 380 of the biggest U.S. cities based on four categories. We considered access to pool installers and maintenance providers, costs, yard size, and even drought risk, among 15 total metrics.” Top cities had ideal swimming weather and high access to pool pros.
Conroe in Montgomery County made the fourth best city in the U.S. to own a swimming pool, with an overall score of 56.80 based on pool readiness, installation, maintenance and climate.
Average yard square footage: 19,991.43 (Rank: 11)
Pool installers per 100,000 detached homes: 326.86 (Rank: 2)
Pool maintenance and repair services per 100,000 detached homes: 487.78 (Rank: 5)
Average per-visit pool cleaning cost (as % of income): 1.59% (Rank: 88)
Historical average number of extremely hot days: 105 (Rank: 36)
Tyler in eastern Texas made the sixth best city, with a score of 56.31. Allen, Flower Mound and Lewisville followed, making it into the top 20 cities ideal for a backyard splash. Richardson, Sugar Land and McKinney were in the top 50 list.
Its website states that it “compared over 380 of the biggest U.S. cities based on four categories. We considered access to pool installers and maintenance providers, costs, yard size, and even drought risk, among 15 total metrics.”
Does a swimming pool add value to a home?
Salil Sarkar, professor of finance and real estate at the University of Texas at Arlington told Pool Gnome: “It depends on the neighborhood: If the home is the only house without a pool, adding a pool will avoid the additional discount while selling. If the residents don’t care for a swimming pool, the property taxes would be low without the pool.”
How do you keep costs down when owning a swimming pool?
Reduce your water and electricity bills with the following tips from Pool Gnome:
Keep your pool covered when not in use to prevent evaporation.
Invest in a solar pump.
Keep an eye out for leaks, and hire a pro to repair them ASAP.
Install a windbreak around the pool.
Don’t leave your pool pump running for long periods of time.
If you want to splash in warm water, opt for solar pool covers or a solar pool heater.
