The Burrow
Apr 8, 2026
While a backyard pool is a dream addition for many homeowners, it can be an expensive investment. Not only do pools have significant upfront installation costs and ongoing upkeep, energy bills can add up, making them even more costly to maintain overtime.
Electricity prices can vary from place to place, so the energy comparison experts at Compare the Market identified the Australian and US states where running a pool is the most expensive. We’ve also highlighted the most affordable areas to show how much you could save on pool upkeep. Read on to see where your area ranks.
To calculate pool upkeep costs across Australia, we estimated how much would be spent each year on running a pool pump for eight hours a day, heating the pool to 29°C, and replacing water lost to evaporation. We then ranked each state by the total annual cost. Here are the states that topped our list:
With the average pool owner paying a massive AU$22,654.72 per year on electricity and upkeep costs, Tasmania is by far the most expensive state in Australia for running a swimming pool in your backyard.
One of the main contributing factors to Tasmania’s pool price issues is that as the coldest state in the country, with an average temperature of 10.95°C in 2025, a typical pool needs to be heated by 18.05°C to reach its ideal temperature (29°C). Although Tasmania has some of the lowest energy prices in the country (AU$0.28/kWh), the huge amounts of electricity needed to maintain a pool’s heat give it a considerable lead in our list.
Despite being the most expensive state for running a swimming pool overall, Tasmania ranks as the cheapest area for water refills, with a typical homeowner paying just AU$122.51 annually to top up the pool.
While it costs almost AU$5,000 less to run a pool each year in Victoria than in Tasmania, the state is still one of the most expensive areas for backyard swimming in Australia. Residents who own a pool can expect to pay around AU$17,973.20 annually, with heating once again accounting for majority of the cost (AU$17,487.40).
The average home in Victoria pays AU$0.28 per kWh of electricity. With an average temperature of 14.97°C in 2025, a typical Victorian pool needs a heat increase of 14.03°C to reach its target warmth. Water pump costs (AU$307.37/year) and water refills (AU$178.39) also contribute to Victoria’s high prices.
Finishing our top three is the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), following closely behind Victoria, with a year’s worth of pool upkeep costing AU$17,788.31. Although the ACT has a lower average temperature than Victoria (12.22°C), its electricity costs are the cheapest in the country, with one kWh costing AU$0.24. This means that even though its residents need to raise their pool’s temperature more than in Victoria, the costs of doing so aren’t as high.
The ACT also has the lowest water pumping costs in the country (AU$255.73) and the second-lowest water refill costs (AU$136.86). However, a typical pool needs to be heated by 16.78°C for eight hours each day, which makes it one of the most expensive states in the country to run a swimming pool.
These are the three cheapest states in the country for running a swimming pool:
Thanks to its high average temperatures (25.73°C), the Northern Territory is the cheapest state in Australia for pool maintenance costs. It also boasts the second-lowest energy costs in the country (AU$0.27/kWh), making upkeep significantly less taxing for Territorians with a pool.
With just AU$295.71 spent per year on pool pumping (the second lowest in Australia), the Northern Territory scores well across multiple categories in our rankings. However, because its high temperatures cause water to evaporate faster than anywhere else in the country, you can expect to spend AU$317.75 on pool refills each year.
Overall, a typical pool in the Northern Territory costs about AU$4,538.45 to keep running for a year. That’s more than five times more affordable than Tasmania!
Taking home a silver medal is Queensland, where pool maintenance costs average around AU$7,348.19 each year. Like the Northern Territory, Queensland’s warm weather helps to reduce heating costs. The average temperature in the state is 24.01°C, so a typical pool needs to be just 4.99°C warmer to hit the 29°C sweet spot. With energy costing AU$0.30/kWh in the state, you can expect to spend AU$6,608.26 on heating per year, assuming you’re using your pool every day.
Despite its low heating costs, Queensland ranks as the most expensive state for water refills. With one kL of water costing AU$4.90, pool refills can cost AU$413.55 each year.
Finally, Western Australia caps off our list of the most affordable states for pool maintenance costs. Although it’s the second-most expensive state for pool refills (AU$367.49/year), running a water pump costs just AU$324.77 annually. Plus, with average temperatures of 23.67°C, pools in the state usually don’t need much heating.
The total cost of pool upkeep in Western Australia is around AU$7,712.87 each year. This puts it narrowly behind Queensland, finishing in third place in our rankings.
It’s not just Australia that has high pool maintenance costs, as American homeowners can also find themselves paying thousands to keep their pools running each year. Here are the states where swimming pool ownership is the most expensive:
It’s no surprise that the coldest state in the US would have the highest heating costs for swimming pools. With an average temperature below freezing (-3°C), Alaskan pools need to use huge amounts of energy to stay warm, and the state already has some of the most expensive electricity in the country (US$0.27/kWh, or AU$0.37).
This means that Alaskans can expect to pay a massive US$37,670.95 (AU$53,010.26) to keep their pool running throughout the year. Not only does the state have the highest heating costs in the country, but it’s also the second-most expensive area for pool refills behind Oregon, with an annual total cost of US$151.65 (AU$213.40). Of course, given the extreme cold, it’s uncommon for locals to have a pool in the first place, but for the few that do, it’s an expensive operation!
While Alaska holds a massive lead in our rankings of the US states with the highest pool maintenance costs, Maine’s homeowners can also expect to pay some hefty bills. The state ranks second on our list, with total costs of US$31,413.64 (AU$44,205.02) each year.
Once again, high heating bills make Maine’s pools expensive, as the state experiences average temperatures of just 5°C, while its pool pumping costs are also among the highest in the country (US$319.16, or AU$449.12, per year). By contrast, though, pool owners in Maine spend just US$38.35 (AU$53.96) on refills each year, making it the fourth-cheapest state for replacing your pool’s water.
One kWh of electricity costs US$0.32 (AU$0.44) in Massachusetts, which makes it the state with the third-highest energy costs in the US (behind Hawaii and California). Those high prices mean that pool owners can expect to spend US$28,270.51 (AU$39,782.04) each year on maintenance.
Massachusetts averages temperatures of 8.8°C throughout the year, so to heat a pool by 20.2°C to reach its ideal temperature, a typical homeowner would have to pay US$27,872.65 (AU$39,222.18) annually. Add the cost of water pumping (US$340.33 /AU$478.91) and water refills (US$57.52 /AU$80.94) to that figure, and it’s easy to see why Massachusetts rounds out our top three.
While a swimming pool tends to be an expensive investment, some areas are better suited to keeping your pool in top condition. So, which US states have the cheapest pool maintenance costs?
Pools are a common sight in Florida, as it’s the warmest state in the US on average (21.5°C). This means that pool owners only have to heat their water by around 7.5°C to reach optimal temperatures, which hugely reduces running costs.
As a result, Florida is the cheapest state for pool upkeep, with the average owner paying just US$5,408.90 (AU$7,611.36) each year. While it’s still a sizeable investment, it’s almost seven times cheaper to run a pool in Florida than in Alaska!
With its average energy cost of US$0.15 (AU$0.21) per kWh and its average temperature of 17.5°C, Georgia is one of the most economical states for heating a pool in the US. The overall cost of maintenance in the state is around US$7,558.90 (AU$10,636.82) each year, earning it a silver medal finish.
Continuing our tour of the South, Mississippi caps off our list of the three cheapest states for pool maintenance, with annual costs of just US$7,598.72 (AU$10,692.86). With pool pumping costing an average of US$156.93 (AU$220.83) per year, and a typical year of refills at US$61.01 (AU$85.85), it scores well on affordability across the board.
With energy costs rising worldwide, it’s important to keep your electricity usage within your budget. Luckily, there are a few techniques you can use to try to lower your pool maintenance costs, says Meredith O’Brien, Head of Energy at Compare the Market.
“There are many tools you can use to stay in control of your energy spending while keeping your pool in optimal condition. A variable-speed pump (VSP) can help you conserve energy by adjusting its speed to match your pool’s conditions, while a solar cover can prevent water from evaporating, cutting refill costs,” she said.
“You can also cut down on your spending by switching energy providers. At Compare the Market, we can help you look for a great policy in a matter of seconds. With just a few clicks, you can compare prices from a range of energy companies, potentially saving on your bills. Start comparing electricity bills with us today and see if you could save!”
This dataset assesses the cost of operating a swimming pool across multiple metrics for each Australian and US state. To ensure consistency and easy comparison, a standard residential outdoor pool size of 9x4x1.7 meters is used, with a target casual swimming pool temperature set at 29°C. The calculations assume the use of a standard pump, the Swimm 500, suitable for the pool size, and that heating is done using an electric heater. States are ranked based on the total annual cost of operating a pool, derived from the provided metrics.
Metrics Used to Calculate Total Cost:
Annual Energy Cost of Running the Pump for 8 Hours per Day:
This metric is calculated using the average energy cost for each state and the energy rating of the pool pump (0.37 kW).
Annual Energy Cost of Heating the Pool to 29°C:
The energy required to heat the pool to 29°C is calculated using the coefficient of heat transfer from water to air (13.89), the surface area of the pool, and the temperature difference between the target pool temperature and the average ambient temperature of each state. The energy cost is then calculated based on the average residential energy rate in the respective state.
Annual Water Cost of Maintaining the Water Level Based on Evaporation:
The water evaporation rate is calculated using the average Class A pan evaporation rate for each state. This is multiplied by the pool’s surface area and the average cost of water per kiloliter (kL) in the state. For the US dataset, water costs are further adjusted based on average household water use and monthly water bills.
Currency Conversion:
All costs are converted to AUD using the XE Currency Converter, with the conversion rates valid as of 10/03/2026.
The total costs for each state are calculated by summing the energy and water costs, and the states are ranked accordingly from highest to lowest cost.
Indexing:
Lower is better for water and energy costs (indicating lower operational costs).
Higher is better for pool-related factors like temperature and energy efficiency (indicating better performance).
Both the cost of electricity and the cost of water were converted from USD to AUD before being used in any calculations, so all calculated costs, including total costs, are in AUD.
US sources:
AU sources: