A New Study Says This One Home Feature Increases Your Home Value by 54% — Yes, Really

I always wanted to have a pool growing up, and it turns out that I’m not alone. According to data from Realtor.com, the real estate platform found that home listings with pools were at their highest level in April as they compared homes both with the amenity and without it. 

Pools were an ultrahot commodity during the pandemic, reaching their peak value with a 61% premium in January 2022. While that popularity has cooled somewhat in the years since, Realtor.com found that having a pool is still a significant asset — and a home with one has a price premium of 54% as of April.

The “pool premium” illustrates the correlation between homes with pools and higher listing prices, pointing to the amenity’s enduring value. Realtor.com found that so far in 2025, the average home with a pool cost $599,000. In comparison, the site found that homes without a pool cost on average $389,000 in the same time frame.

Now, there’s a catch — homes with pools tend to be bigger, which the report authors say might explain some of the pricing. But regardless, having a pool still can raise the price-per-square-footage value of a home. 

In April 2025, Realtor.com found that homes with a pool cost $247 per square foot on average, compared with $204 for a home without one. In general, warmer places in the South and the West, many of which have boomed in popularity with new residents in recent years, are more likely to have a pool, especially as temperatures have risen across the country.

1. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Florida
2. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona
3. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
4. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas
5. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida

1. Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, Nevada
2. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Texas
3. Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, Tennessee
4. Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, Indiana
5. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Florida

Despite increasing your home’s curb appeal (and potentially getting you a higher price on your listing), a pool comes with a few cons. For one, there are high initial costs if you are planning on installing one on your property, plus ongoing maintenance, chemical, and energy costs that you’ll need to pay. According to HomeGuide.com, this can cost pool owners between $960 to $1,800 per year depending on where you live. 

Having a pool can also increase your home’s insurance premium due to safety concerns, and certain buyers might pass up on a home due to higher pricing and safety risks, especially for kids or pets. Additionally, homes in cooler climates can usually only use the pool for certain seasons, making a large portion of your backyard unusable for part of the year.

Realtor.com’s data that the listings of homes with pools were at their peak in April 2025 shows that buyers may have lots of options with the popular summer amenity. Also, sellers in certain markets who don’t have a pool might be at a slight disadvantage getting higher prices for their homes in today’s wonky housing market. Plus, who doesn’t want a nice cool pool to enjoy once summer starts heating up?