Home / Costs by city
What a pool costs to keep, in 29 California cities
Every figure is computed from that city’s own electricity and water rates, not a statewide average. Pick your city for its permit requirements and the full breakdown.
Across these 29 cities, the first year of keeping a pool runs from $3,647 in Modesto to $4,847 in Walnut Creek.
All 29 cities, ranked by what the pool costs
| City | County | Utility | $/kWh | Water, per 1k gal | Evaporation, gal/yr | Year one | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walnut Creek | Contra Costa | PG&E | $0.40 | $13.90 | 11,500 | $4,847 | $25,919 |
| San Francisco | San Francisco | PG&E | $0.40 | $16.80 | 8,500 | $4,838 | $25,845 |
| San Rafael | Marin | PG&E | $0.40 | $15.50 | 9,500 | $4,813 | $25,721 |
| Berkeley | Alameda | PG&E | $0.40 | $14.60 | 9,000 | $4,768 | $25,467 |
| Oakland | Alameda | PG&E | $0.40 | $14.60 | 9,500 | $4,736 | $25,306 |
| San Jose | Santa Clara | PG&E | $0.40 | $15.20 | 10,500 | $4,718 | $25,221 |
| Santa Monica | Los Angeles | SCE | $0.344 | $14.00 | 10,500 | $4,638 | $24,801 |
| San Diego | San Diego | SDG&E | $0.464 | $15.90 | 12,500 | $4,583 | $24,710 |
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | SCE | $0.344 | $16.20 | 10,500 | $4,523 | $24,172 |
| Santa Rosa | Sonoma | PG&E | $0.40 | $13.50 | 10,500 | $4,523 | $24,186 |
| Pasadena | Los Angeles | Pasadena Water and Power | $0.26 | $13.50 | 12,500 | $4,372 | $23,285 |
| Palm Springs | Riverside | SCE | $0.344 | $9.80 | 19,000 | $4,341 | $23,281 |
| Torrance | Los Angeles | SCE | $0.344 | $12.50 | 11,000 | $4,241 | $22,696 |
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles | LADWP | $0.285 | $14.50 | 12,000 | $4,238 | $22,659 |
| Long Beach | Los Angeles | SCE | $0.344 | $13.00 | 11,500 | $4,212 | $22,547 |
| Alhambra | Los Angeles | SCE | $0.344 | $13.00 | 13,500 | $4,174 | $22,368 |
| Santa Ana | Orange | SCE | $0.344 | $11.80 | 12,000 | $4,135 | $22,135 |
| Oxnard | Ventura | SCE | $0.344 | $12.50 | 11,000 | $4,103 | $21,962 |
| Salinas | Monterey | PG&E | $0.40 | $11.80 | 9,500 | $4,088 | $21,859 |
| San Bernardino | San Bernardino | SCE | $0.344 | $10.20 | 16,500 | $4,034 | $21,631 |
| Stockton | San Joaquin | PG&E | $0.40 | $9.40 | 14,500 | $4,026 | $21,569 |
| Anaheim | Orange | Anaheim Public Utilities | $0.24 | $11.50 | 12,500 | $4,024 | $21,425 |
| Bakersfield | Kern | PG&E | $0.40 | $8.90 | 16,000 | $4,013 | $21,507 |
| Fresno | Fresno | PG&E | $0.40 | $8.20 | 15,500 | $3,988 | $21,369 |
| Roseville | Placer | Roseville Electric | $0.19 | $10.20 | 13,500 | $3,910 | $20,798 |
| Riverside | Riverside | Riverside Public Utilities | $0.22 | $10.50 | 16,000 | $3,907 | $20,815 |
| Redding | Shasta | PG&E | $0.40 | $8.60 | 14,000 | $3,852 | $20,635 |
| Sacramento | Sacramento | SMUD | $0.199 | $9.80 | 13,500 | $3,849 | $20,469 |
| Modesto | Stanislaus | Modesto Irrigation District | $0.19 | $9.00 | 14,500 | $3,647 | $19,395 |
Electricity and water from each serving utility’s published residential schedule. Five-year totals escalate each line at its own driver’s rate: IOU electricity 5.5%, LADWP 5.0%, board-set municipals 3.0%, San Diego water 12%, MWD-dependent water 7%, other water 5.5%, everything else 3%. Sources read September 2026.
By region
Bay Area
Central Coast
Sacramento and the north
What is in every one of these figures
- 01
Water lost to evaporation
Local climate evaporation priced at the serving agency’s upper-tier residential rate. Sewer is excluded: top-off water does not return to the sewer.
- 02
Pump electricity
A single-speed 1.5 HP pump over a local season length, at the serving utility’s residential average.
- 03
Chemicals and weekly service
DIY chemical spend plus weekly service labour at local rates. Most California routes bill the two separately.
- 04
Repairs, amortised
Resurfacing every 10 to 15 years, a pump every 8 to 10, filter, tile and leaks in between, spread over the life of the surface.
Heating is not in any of these numbers. It is the most variable line and many California pools are unheated. Every total on this site is a floor.
Work out which removal you need before anyone quotes you.
Six questions about the pool, the access and what you want the yard to become. It names the option, lists the scope, and does not put a price on it.