The Risk of Pool Related Injuries for Homeowners

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children under 5, and the second leading cause of death for those under 14. Many of these deaths occur in swimming pools. Between 2019 and 2021, nearly 2,500 people drowned in swimming pools — and nearly a third of them were children.

States with the most pool-related fatalities

Warm-weather states in the South and Southwest have both the highest numbers of drownings and the highest drowning rates. Florida, California, and Texas have each had more than 250 pool drownings in the last three years. Smaller states like Arizona, Nevada, and Louisiana have higher rates of pool fatalities. Overall, Florida is the most dangerous state when it comes to pools. It has the most total drowning deaths, 458, and the highest rate, 0.7 per 100,000.

Pool drowning fatalities by state

State	Total drowning deaths	Under 5 years old	5 to 14 years old
U.S.	2,454	709	94
Alabama	43	16
Arizona	131	45
Arkansas	22
California	367	99	21
Colorado	21
Florida	458	127	20
Georgia	104	31
Hawaii	15
Illinois	56	16
Indiana	35	14
Iowa	10
Kansas	14
Kentucky	19	12
Louisiana	55	24
Maryland	28
Massachusetts	17
Michigan	34	13
Minnesota	22
Mississippi	27	11
Missouri	49	17
Nevada	46	10
New Jersey	47	13
New Mexico	12
New York	84	19
North Carolina	55	21
Ohio	66	32
Oklahoma	32	10
Pennsylvania	64	17
South Carolina	39
Tennessee	42	16
Texas	281	107	28
Utah	18
Virginia	41	13
Washington	28
Wisconsin	18
Methodology: Data sourced from the CDC's “Current Final Multiple Cause of Death” data request form. Total deaths and deaths by age group are for the period 2019-2021.

Nationwide, 31% of pool-related drownings involve a child under the age of 5. However, in Kentucky, Ohio, and Texas, that number is closer to 60%. Most pool-related drownings occur in the summer, with 65% of all pool drownings happening in June, July, and August.

Between 2019 and 2021, 788 children under the age of 14 died in pools nationwide. These states had the highest numbers of pool-related child fatalities:

• Florida: 147
• Texas: 135
• California: 120
• Arizona: 45
• Ohio: 32
• Georgia: 31

Dangers of drowning injuries in residential pools

Non-fatal drowning injuries can be life-changing. They are also far more common than fatalities. Non-fatal drowning incidents have the potential to result in brain damage and other severe consequences, such as enduring long-term disabilities. Nationwide, there have been 18,600 non-fatal drowning injuries involving a child over the last three years. In 75% of these cases, the child was under the age of 5.

Around 50% of non-fatal drowning injuries involving a child happened at a residential pool. However, 25% happened at a public pool and 25% happened at an unknown location.

Pool safety tips for homeowners

Homeowners and their adult guests can take an active role in preventing drowning-related injuries. For insurance purposes, some companies won't insure a house with a pool that is not enclosed by a fence to keep trespassers from accessing it. Besides always keeping an eye out, the following tips can help you keep your children safe while they play in the pool.

1. Designate one person to watch each child. If everyone is watching everyone, no one is watching anyone.
2. Install water barriers around pools and hot tubs.
3. If a child is missing, check the water first.
4. Have a list of the rules and safety instructions and enforce them at all times with all guests.
5. Know basic water rescue skills like first aid and CPR.
6. Floaties do not prevent drownings.
7. Keep the pool visible at all times. Make sure you can see the bottom and remove toys from the pool when they're not being used.

“A pool is a tremendous source of family fun but also a tremendous responsibility. The need to supervise children and maintain rules for responsible behavior cannot be overstated.” — Rob Bhatt, QuoteWizard Analyst

Insurance coverage to protect homeowners with pools

As much fun as pools are, they pose an increased liability risk to homeowners. The insurance industry describes pools as "attractive nuisances," essentially labeling them dangerous fun. Homeowners with pools need to be aware of the levels of liability coverage on their home insurance policies.

If someone is injured on your property, your home insurance liability coverage takes care of medical bills and civil settlements. All home insurance policies have liability coverage. A standard HO-3 home insurance policy comes with $100,000 in liability coverage. Homeowners with pools should increase their liability coverage to $500,000 or more. But this amount may still not be enough. Your liability limits should match your net worth plus your mortgage balance in order to protect your assets.

It usually does not cost too much to increase your liability limit to $500,000. You can also purchase an umbrella policy for additional protection.

Increasing liability coverage on your home insurance policy is simple. Contact your insurance agent or provider and request an increase in liability coverage. Bumping coverage from $100,000 to over $500,000 only increases your home insurance premium by about 10% to 15%.

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