Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America for the third year in a row, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s Topline Participation Report, which shows an incredible 223.5% rise in participation in the sport over the past three years, with every age group seeing increased participation. The SFIA’s 2024 State of Pickleball: Participation & Infrastructure Report, released with Pickleheads, provides an in-depth analysis of participation and facilities, highlighting the investment required to sustain this rapid growth.
Often mistakenly associated with a higher rate of participation among older Americans, the age group with the most participants, 2.3 million people, is actually the 25-to-34 age range, according to SFIA. What’s more, the sport added more than a million children younger than 18 between 2022 and 2023. This cross-generational appeal highlights pickleball’s versatility and its ability to bring together diverse groups of people. The significant increase in youth participation also suggests a promising future for the sport as young players grow and continue to engage with pickleball.
Every region in the United States in 2023 saw increased pickleball participation, with the South Atlantic region leading the way with 2.8 million pickleball players, a 50% increase compared to 2022. Given the remarkable growth trend, this underscores the need to apply facility data alongside detailed participation data to ensure the industry is doing what it can to keep up with the unprecedented demand of the sport.
“The remarkable growth in pickleball participation highlights the sport’s widespread appeal and the enthusiasm it generates across all age groups,” said Alex Kerman, senior director of research and business operations, SFIA. “The 2024 State of Pickleball Report showcases this surge in participation and the cross-generational excitement for the sport. As we continue to support this rapid expansion, our priority is to ensure that pickleball remains accessible and enjoyable for everyone, fostering a thriving community of players.”
To keep up with the explosive demand of pickleball, there is still work to be done in terms of funding for infrastructure. “Now in our second year of this report, we can see the pickleball industry has responded to the court shortage challenge by adding infrastructure, with dedicated pickleball facilities growing 55% year-over-year,” said Brandon Mackie, co-founder and COO, Pickleheads. “Still, there remains a long road of investment ahead with $855 million needed to construct courts over the next five to seven years.”
While every region in the U.S. added pickleball courts in 2024, the Mountain, West North Central, and the East South-Central regions all declined in their dedicated courts per 1,000 participants metric, as new courts added were not enough to offset the drastic growth in pickleball participation in these regions.
The 2024 report revealed that many of America’s largest metropolitan cities are catching up with last year’s laggards of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, as they all have doubled their dedicated courts per 10,000 people. There is still a long way to go as these three major markets are on average 92% below national averages for dedicated court density.