Top 10 Cities for Making a Splash in an Amazing Home Swimming Pool

By Yuqing Pan
Jul 13, 2015

OK, here we are: deep into the sweltering, extended days and steamy nights of midsummer. So what’s better than (briefly, blissfully) conquering the heat with a reviving dive into a great pool? Diving into a great pool in your very own backyard, of course.

It got us thinking: Where would we be most likely to find a home in the U.S. that’s pool-party ready? So, our data team took a deep plunge into millions of property public records of single-family homes to come up with a ranking of the top 10 medium-to-large cities with the highest percentage of backyard pools.

It’s no tremendous surprise that most of the cities with the biggest pool scenes are in Florida and Arizona, two of the hottest U.S. states. But here’s a water-logged reality check: most real estate experts will tell you that a swimming pool does not necessarily boost your home’s value. It can, in fact, be a turnoff (and health hazard) for buyers with young children (although plenty appreciate it as a source of family fun), and the recommended liability insurance is an extra expense. And some potential buyers are just turned off by the messy and expensive upkeep. But here’s the other truth: in some of the nation’s steamiest states, not having a pool when the temperature spikes is almost unthinkable.Or certainly not a whole lot of fun.

Top 10 Cities for Pool-Loving Homeowners

Florida

Two of the top 10 pool-loving cities are in the Sunshine State. Topping the list is Coral Springs, FL, where a remarkable two-thirds of homes have a pool . The number isn’t at all surprising to Shelly Lesser, a local real estate agent, who says only three out of 550 houses in her community are pool-free.

“Because here, it’s hot 10 months out of a year,” Lesser says. “Everybody wants to use the pool. My daughter is typically in the pool five days out of seven.”

Unlike some Florida cities with a higher percentage of seniors, Coral Springs is family oriented. Parents usually search for homes with a built-in pool for their kids, says Lesser, who recently sold a four-bedroom home with a pool to a couple with a 6-year-old and a baby on the way. Here, a pool not only contributes to a faster sale, but also adds an average of $20,000 to the price, she estimates.

Arizona

In the Grand CanyonState, a swimming pool is also considered crucial by most residents and potential home buyers—the temperature hits  over 100 degrees in the summer. In a cluster of cities in the PhoenixMesaGlendale metropolitan area, one-third of the homeowners choose to upgrade their outdoor living space into an oasis.

Carol Royse, a Tempe-based agent, says any home with a price of $250,000 and up is almost guaranteed to have a pool. The majority of her clients—especially transplants—see it as a must-have feature for a new home. Recently, she says, she showed a “very nice house” to 10 of her clients, but they rejected it because of its distinct lack of splash-splash functionality.

And while Arizona, like California, is in the grip of a long-term drought, recent research shows that existing pools don’t actually use that much water, especially if you get a pool cover to prevent evaporation (and keep out debris).

Texas

In Plano, one of the most affluent suburbs of Dallas, a private pool is also a one of the most commonly sought-after features, agent say.

There are not a lot of community pools being built here, which is probably why people feel the intense need to own their own pools,” says local agent Pedro Cabezas.

Another potential reason: the influx of new businesses in Dallas and surrounding areas. Non-natives in particular crave a refreshing pool nearby to get then through the Texas heat, says Chris Bentley, a Plano Realtor originally from the East Coast.

But unlike some of other top 10 pool-loving locales, a watery haven is neither a distinct dealmaker or deal-breaker in selling a home here. In most cases, a pool is well-received among families with children, not so much for older buyers.

On the other hand, it doesn’t take a water lover to enjoy Plano’s enormous and famous Texas-shaped pool—a public space now striving for landmark status. All it takes is some good ol’ Texas pride.