Swimming Pool Statistics: 101+ Important Facts and Trends

Swimming is one of the most popular summertime activities. The industry is growing, and more homeowners each year across the USA are opting to install a private pool in their backyard. Whether you own your pool, go to a public pool, or build pools for a living, here are 101 pool statistics about the industry and the latest trends.

General Statistics

1. Using a pool heater to keep your water warm can extend a swimming season by up to 4 months.
2. An Olympic pool measures 164 feet long and 82 feet wide, with a depth of 6 feet.
3. An Olympic pool holds a whooping 660,430 gallons of water.
4. Michael Phelps has the most gold medals for swimming in the Olympics, boasting 23.
5. The ideal pool water temperature should be between 77 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. A saltwater pool contains ten times less salt than the ocean.
7. Gaius Maecenas of Rome built the first heated swimming pool in the first century BC.
8. The Great Baths of Mohenjo-Daro are the earliest known pools and were constructed around 2600 BC.
9. The average size of a swimming pool is between 10 feet by 20 feet to 20 feet by 40 feet.
10. Vinyl liner pools are the most common type of swimming pool.
11. The most popular swimming pool game is Marco Polo.
12. The most popular way to jump into a swimming pool is to cannonball.
13. The most popular swimming stroke is breaststroke.
14. 38% of swimming pools have diving boards, making them the most popular pool addition.
15. The average person swims in a pool around six times a year.
16. On average, a swimming pool is open for around 7 to 8 months a year.

Global Statistics

17. The Maidstone Swimming Club in Kent in the United Kingdom is believed to be the oldest surviving swimming club in Britain.
18. The world’s largest swimming pool is the Citystars Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, which is just over 1 million square feet.
19. The Citystars Sharm El Sheikh took 21 days to fill.
20. The Aura Skypool is the world’s highest infinity pool and is located in Dubai.
21. Marina Bay Sands is the longest infinity pool in the world, sitting atop three buildings at 479 feet long.
22. Deep Dive Dubai is the deepest dive pool in the world, at a depth of 196 feet.
23. The Library Resort in Thailand has the reddest pool in the world, thanks to the red, yellow, and orange tiles.
24. The Glenwood Hot Springs Resort has the largest mineral hot springs pool in the world.
25. The first ocean liner to feature a swimming pool is the RMS Adriatic.
26. Australia manufactures the most swimming pools per capita in the world.
27. In Australia, around 20% of homes in Queensland have swimming pools, making Queensland the Australian state with the highest percentage of homes with pools.
28. The Lexic Hibiscus Port Dickson in Malaysia holds the record for the most swimming pools in a resort at 643 pools.
29. Modern swimming pools became popular in Britain in the 1800s.
30. Quebec boasts more swimming pools per capita than California, with one swimming pool for every 26 homes.

U.S. Statistics

31. There are around 10.7 million swimming pools in the United States.
32. There are 10.4 million residential swimming pools in the United States.
33. There are around 309,000 public swimming pools in the United States.
34. Around 15% of American homes have swimming pools.
35. Swimming is the fourth most popular sport in the United States.
36. There are approximately 350,000 swimming athletes in the U.S.
37. More than half of U.S. professional swimming athletes identify as female.
38. Unsurprisingly, the warmest states and cities in the US have the most pools, while colder regions have fewer pools.
39. Florida has more swimming pools than any other state, but Arizona has the most swimming pools per capita.
40. In the United States, men are more likely than women to have all five basic swimming skills.
41. New York City has a very low swimming pool ownership rate.
42. There are about 7.3 million hot tubs in the USA.
43. Over 30% of Americans over the age of 16 swim in oceans, lakes, and rivers every year.
44. Around 80% of Americans claim that they can swim, but only 56% of Americans have the five basic swimming skills needed.
45. Almost 20% of Americans own a swimming pool, hot tub, or spa.
46. President Gerald Ford built the 50-foot by 20-foot White House outdoor pool in 1975.
47. Underwood Pool in Belmont, Massachusetts, is the oldest known public swimming pool in the United States.
48. The Deep Eddy Swimming Pool in Austin is the oldest swimming pool in Texas.
49. The Hansen Dam Recreation Center in California is the largest pool in the United States.
50. Around 51 to 60% of pools in the United States are inground pools.
51. 10 – 15% of swimming pools in the United States are saltwater pools, but this percentage is projected to increase with the rise in the popularity of saltwater pools.
52. California and Florida combined have around 40% of all swimming pools in the United States.
53. The biggest backyard swimming pool is located in Texas.
54. The sun evaporates around 13 million gallons of water every hour from swimming pools in the United States.
55. Americans use almost 200 billion gallons of water to fill their pools.

Maintenance Statistics

56. A properly balanced pool should have a pH of 7.2-7.8, total alkalinity of 80-120 ppm, calcium hardness of 180-220 ppm, cyanuric acid of 30-50 ppm, and chlorine levels of 1-3 ppm.
57. On average, swimming pool maintenance costs around $100 every month.
58. The pool pump should run about 8-10 hours a day.
59. Most swimming pool owners clean their pools on a weekly routine.
60. The robotic pool cleaner market is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 14.1%.
61. Around 95% of swimming pools use chlorine.
62. Vinyl liner pools should last around 20 years, provided the liner is replaced every 6 – 12 years or as needed.
63. Fiberglass pools can last up to 30 years or more.
64. Most inground pools take between 8 to 12 weeks to build.
65. Some public pools should be chlorine shocked almost daily, but are only done occasionally.
66. A pool pump will last around 8 to 12 years on average.
67. Automatic pool covers can last five years with good care.

Health and Safety Statistics

68. Free chlorine can kill certain bacteria like E. coli in a minute or less.
69. About 1 in 5 adults urinate in swimming pools.
70. Around 70% of swimmers do not rinse before swimming.
71. Drowning is the number one cause of unintentional death in the USA for children aged 1-4.
72. The most common cause of drowning is the inability to swim.
73. In the U.S., there are around 4,000 fatal drownings every year.
74. Each year, there are roughly 7,000 non-fatal injuries related to swimming in the United States.
75. Around 42 people drown every hour around the world.
76. More than 40% of non-fatal drownings treated in emergency rooms require further hospitalization.
77. Non-fatal drowning can lead to long-term health problems, including brain damage and other long-term disabilities.
78. Around 80% of drowning victims are male.
79. Alaska has the highest drowning rate in the United States.
80. Florida has the highest drowning rate for children under the age of 5.
81. For teens and adults, alcohol consumption is involved in around 70% of all fatal drownings.
82. 23% of child drownings happen in a pool during family gatherings.
83. Around 75% of drowning deaths of children aged 15 or younger happen in a private residential swimming pool.
84. 83% of fatal swimming pool drownings among children aged 15 or younger happen in an inground pool.
85. Around 10% of fatal swimming pool drownings occur in portable above ground pools.
86. On average, swimming for fitness burns around 30% more calories per hour than running.
87. According to the CDC, in 2008, about 12% of pool inspections led to pool closures due to public health violations.
88. According to the CDC, in 2013, around 58% of pools studied contained E. coli.
89. 46% of Americans report that they have had an experience in the water where they feared they would drown.
90. The most common symptoms swimmers experience with water illnesses are diarrhea, eye pain, ear pain, skin rashes, and cough.
91. 21% of U.S. adults use a pool test kit to check chemical levels in a public pool before jumping in.

Financial Statistics

92. The swimming pool industry in the USA is estimated to be worth over 1.1 billion dollars.
93. Inground pools cost around $35,000 on average.
94. Above ground pools are much more affordable than inground pools, costing around $2,800 on average.
95. The swimming pool market is expected to grow steadily over the next five years.
96. The top four pool manufacturers in the United States are Zodiac, Pentair, Latham, and Hayward.
97. Around 36% of potential customers are concerned about the price when considering getting a pool.
98. Around 41% of customers spend between $5,000 to $7,000 on a new hot tub.
99. The average cost of a solar pool heating system is around $3,000 to $4,000.
100. A swimming pool in a home can boost the house’s value by 8%.
101. Opening and closing a pool costs between $300 to $500 on average.