Pickleball has experienced an unprecedented surge in popularity over the past few years. The 2024 Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) Topline Participation Report announced that pickleball continued to be America’s fastest-growing sport for the third year in a row (out of 124 tracked). In the report, the SFIA also announced that pickleball had grown 51.8% from 2022 to 2023, and an incredible 223.5% since 2020. This exciting and accessible sport has attracted thousands of new players of all ages and skill levels in a fairly short period of time, making it a true phenomenon. Let's delve into some more eye-catching statistics that showcase the impressive growth of pickleball.
Player Participation
While exact numbers vary depending on the source, there is no denying how quickly pickleball has grown in popularity. According to the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP), as of March 2023, 48.3 million adult Americans – almost 1/5th of the total adult population in the U.S. – had tried playing pickleball at least once in the past 12 months! That number represented a 35% increase over the APP’s prior research conducted in August 2022, when it had found that adult participation had reached 36.5 million!
Regional Participation and Growth
According to the SFIA 2023 State of Pickleball: Participation & Infrastructure Report, pickleball participation has been growing in every region in the U.S., with the South Atlantic region (including DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA) boasting the largest population of pickleball players with 1.9 million players. The Pacific and East North Central regions had the second and third highest populations, with 1.5 million and 1.4 million players, respectively. Interestingly, the East South Central U.S., which covers states like Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee, had the lowest population of pickleball players, with 0.9% of the total pickleball population.
According to the SFIA Pickleball Single Sport Report (2022), when it comes to where the sport is growing fastest, however, that would be in the West North Central Region of the US, in states like Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. They have been showing the fastest growth in new pickleball players, with about 30% year-over-year growth.
Interestingly, The Single Sport Report points out that the Middle Atlantic Region, including states like New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, have been showing the slowest growth in new pickleball players in recent years, with only 5.8% year-over-year growth.
Demographics
Contrary to popular belief, pickleball is not just a sport for retirees. In fact, the March 2023 research from the APP finds that the average age of avid pickleball players (those playing at least once a month) is now about 35, with approximately 72% of such players being between the ages of 18 and 44. Pickleball is truly a multi-generational sport, fostering connections and friendly competition among people of all ages.
The report also found that most pickleball players are men. When it comes to avid pickleball players, 62% identify as male, and when it comes to casual players, 57% identify as male.
Pickleball Facilities
As the number of players continues to grow, so does the demand for courts and facilities. In its 2024 Annual Growth Report, the USA Pickleball Association reported that there were 50,003 known pickleball courts in 2023. On a statewide basis, California had the most pickleball courts (3,589), followed by Florida (2,854) and Texas (2,081).
Competitive Play
Competitive pickleball has also experienced substantial growth, with 195 official tournaments sanctioned by USA Pickleball in 2023, according to the 2024 Annual Growth Report. There is a growing interest in tournament play, showcasing pickleball's potential as a competitive sport on both the national and international stage.
Conclusion
In conclusion, pickleball's meteoric rise in popularity is nothing short of astonishing. With millions of players across the United States, this once-niche sport played primarily in high school physical education classes has firmly established itself as a mainstream favorite. As more people discover the joy and camaraderie that pickleball offers, we can expect this paddle-wielding sensation to continue its rapid growth and evolution in the years to come.
