Best US cities for hot tub lovers
Which cities are ideal for a soothing soak after a draining day?
As we head into winter—the best time to use a hot tub—Pool Gnome ranked 2024's best cities for hot tub lovers. We compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on seven metrics, such as the number of hot tub dealers, average utility bills, and periods of extreme cold. Dip into our ranking below to see the Jacuzzis of hot tub-friendly cities. To learn how we ranked them, scroll to the methodology at the bottom of this post.
Up close: Top 5 jetsetters
No. 1: Colorado Springs, Colorado | Overall Score: 59.01
Number of Hot Tub Dealers: 12 | Rank: 1
Portion of Average Household Income Spent on Electricity: 0.24% | Rank: 215
Average Monthly Google Searches for Top Hot Tub Keywords Over Past Year: 1,190 | Rank: 40
Historical Annual Average Number of Extremely Cold Days: 161 | Rank: 12
No. 2: Beaverton, Oregon | Overall Score: 56.87
Number of Hot Tub Dealers: 10 | Rank: 2 (tie)
Hot Tub Installers per 10,000 Homes: 6.3 | Rank: 1
Portion of Average Household Income Spent on Electricity: 0.2% | Rank: 109
Average Monthly Google Searches for Top Hot Tub Keywords Over Past Year: 420 | Rank: 105
No. 3: Reno, Nevada | Overall Score: 55.04
Number of Hot Tub Dealers: 10 | Rank: 2 (tie)
Hot Tub Installers per 10,000 Homes: 1.8 | Rank: 135
Average Monthly Google Searches for Top Hot Tub Keywords Over Past Year: 580 | Rank: 72
Historical Annual Average Number of Extremely Cold Days: 160 | Rank: 13
No. 4: Denver | Overall Score: 54.78
Number of Hot Tub Dealers: 7 | Rank: 13
Portion of Average Household Income Spent on Electricity: 0.18% | Rank: 87
Average Monthly Google Searches for Top Hot Tub Keywords Over Past Year: 3,290 | Rank: 4
Historical Annual Average Number of Extremely Cold Days: 156 | Rank: 16
No. 5: Las Vegas | Overall Score: 53.11
Number of Hot Tub Dealers: 9 | Rank: 5 (tie)
Hot Tub Installers per 10,000 Homes: 2.4 | Rank: 74
Hot Tub Service Providers per 10,000 Homes: 3.1 | Rank: 10
Average Monthly Google Searches for Top Hot Tub Keywords Over Past Year: 2,080 | Rank: 14
Hot take
Residents of Colorado, the Pacific Northwest, and cold Midwestern cities love a hot tub. These cities jetted to the top of our leaderboard, with Colorado Springs, Colorado, in first place.
However, hot tubs aren't just for cold-climate dwellers — even desert cities like Las Vegas (No. 5) and Tucson, Arizona (No. 14), made a big splash in our top 20.
Here, high demand for an in-home spa is met by close proximity to hot tub dealers (and servicers). Why does this matter? Pricey long-distance shipping can sap your budget dry.
Hot tub water and electricity bills are less affordable in our top cities, though. Keep an eye on them, especially during winter, when those expenses spiral in frigid areas like Sioux Falls, South Dakota (No. 18).
Meanwhile, remote Texas cities and small California suburbs landed in hot water — and not in a good way. Edinburg, Texas, plunged to last place.
Our worst performers' small appetite for jetted tubs means lack of wholesalers, except in Honolulu (No. 486). Among our bottom cities, the Big Pineapple has both the highest demand and best access but the steepest costs to keep the tub sizzling.
Under the surface: Methodology
First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the best cities for hot tub lovers. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into 4 categories: Access (including number of hot tub dealers, installers and providers); Utilities Cost (including portion of income spent on water and electricity); Demand (average number of Google searches for hot tubs); and Extreme Cold (average number of cold days).
For each of the 500 biggest U.S. cities, we then gathered data on each factor from sources Electricity Local, Energy Sage, Google Ads, Hot Tub Insider, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Census Bureau, Yellow Pages, and Yelp.
Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city's Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked "Best" (No. 1) and the lowest "Worst" (No. 500). Note: The "Worst" among individual factors may not be No. 500 due to ties.
Final thoughts: Warm up for your hot tub purchase
Hot tubs are a great way to relax year-round but especially in winter or after an exhausting day.
If you're seriously considering buying a hot tub, it's important to know beforehand how much you need to budget — up front and over the life of your tub, not to mention for any unforeseen expenses.
According to our analysis, a brand-new hot tub could set you back an average of $6,900. That can go as high as $25,500 for a top model with all the features or as low as $1,000 for an inflatable one.
That's just the price tag. Don't forget to factor in tax, shipping (if you aren't buying from a local dealer), and labor (installation and maintenance).
This story was produced by Pool Gnome and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
