Pickleball is the most-talked-about sport in America, and the talk is backed by real numbers. This page collects 30 of the most useful, fully sourced statistics on US pickleball: how many people play, how fast it is growing, who is playing, how many courts exist, and how large the equipment market has become. Every figure below names its source and year so you can cite it with confidence. The data spans the most recent reporting from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, USA Pickleball, the Association of Pickleball Players, and major market researchers.
As of the 2025 SFIA report, 24.3 million Americans play pickleball, up 171.8 percent in just three years, making it the fastest-growing sport in the country for the fourth straight year. The average player is 34.8 years old, there are 82,613 courts across 18,258 US locations, and the global market is projected to reach 9.1 billion dollars by 2034.
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How many people play pickleball in the United States
According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), 24.3 million Americans played pickleball in 2025. The SFIA names pickleball the fastest-growing sport in the country for the fourth consecutive year.
The trajectory is steep. SFIA participation rose from about 3.46 million players in 2019 to 4.20 million in 2020, 4.82 million in 2021, 8.95 million in 2022, 13.58 million in 2023, and 19.81 million in 2024, before reaching 24.3 million in 2025. The 2024 figure alone was a 45.8 percent jump over 2023.
Measured from the 2020 baseline of 4.2 million players, the SFIA reports 479 percent growth over five years and 171.8 percent growth over the three years from 2022 to 2025. Coverage of the SFIA 2026 Topline data by The Dink Pickleball notes the sport added nearly 4.5 million new players in a single year, a 22.8 percent year-over-year gain.
A different and larger figure comes from the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) and YouGov, which found that 48.3 million adult Americans, roughly 19 percent of all US adults, played pickleball at least once in the prior 12 months. That number is up 35 percent from the 36.5 million the APP measured in August 2022. The two counts differ because they measure different things: the SFIA tracks total annual participants, while the APP survey counts any adult who played even once in a year.
Who plays: pickleball demographics
Pickleball is younger than its reputation suggests. The Association of Pickleball Players puts the average player age at 34.8 years, and reports that more than 70 percent of avid players are between 18 and 44, with 40 percent of avid players in the 25 to 34 band.
SFIA single-sport data, as reported by Pickleball Magazine, shows the 25 to 34 age group was the single largest by player count in 2024 at about 3.175 million players. At the same time, 3 million players were aged 65 and over, and teen players aged 13 to 17 reached nearly 2 million, more than doubling in two years. Pickleball is growing at both ends of the age range.
On gender, the SFIA reports an overall 2025 split of 57 percent male and 43 percent female. Among avid, at-least-monthly players, the APP found a wider gap of 62 percent male and 38 percent female.
Casual versus core: how engagement is splitting
The growth is concentrated in casual play. Per SFIA data reported by The Dink, casual players (those who play 1 to 7 times per year) reached 16.8 million in 2025, up 23.9 percent year over year, while core players (8 or more sessions per year) reached 7.48 million, up 20.4 percent from 2024.
The prior year showed the same pattern even more sharply: casual players grew 55.6 percent to 13.6 million in 2024, while core players grew 28.2 percent to 6.2 million.
As newcomers flood in, the average commitment per dedicated player has softened. The SFIA and Pickleheads State of Pickleball reporting found that core players averaged 31 days on court in 2023, down from 40 days in 2022, a dilution effect typical of a sport adding millions of beginners.
Courts and places to play
USA Pickleball, which maintains the official Places2Play database, counted 82,613 courts across 18,258 distinct locations in its 2025 Annual Growth Report. The report logged 14,155 new courts and more than 2,300 new locations added in the most recent cycle.
Dedicated facilities are growing even faster than total courts. The SFIA and Pickleheads reporting found dedicated pickleball facility counts up 55 percent year over year, and estimated that meeting demand will require roughly 855 million dollars of court construction investment over the next five to seven years.
Organized membership tracks the same curve. USA Pickleball reported 104,828 members in its 2025 report, up from 62,260 a year earlier.
The pickleball economy
Market researchers size the global pickleball market at about 2.2 billion dollars in 2024, with Market.us projecting growth to 9.1 billion dollars by 2034 at a 15.3 percent compound annual growth rate.
The equipment slice is growing in step. Coherent Market Insights pegs the global pickleball equipment market at 702.9 million dollars in 2025, rising to 1,848.1 million dollars by 2032 at a 14.8 percent CAGR. Focused on paddles specifically, Dimension Market Research values the US pickleball paddle market at 184.4 million dollars in 2025, growing to 368.6 million dollars by 2034 at an 8.0 percent CAGR.
Growth has a cost line too. CBS News, citing UBS analysts, estimated that pickleball injuries would run Americans about 377 million dollars in medical costs in 2023, roughly 302 million of that from outpatient and emergency treatment.
Equipment approvals and competition
The gear category is crowded and getting more so. In its 2024 reporting, USA Pickleball approved 1,225 paddles and 81 balls and registered 476 new manufacturers, a signal of how much money is chasing the paddle market.
Competitive play scaled alongside it: USA Pickleball sanctioned 144 tournaments in 2025, including 18 Golden Ticket events feeding its national championship.
For players, the practical takeaway of an approval list that adds more than a thousand paddles a year is that paddle selection has become its own research project. Our ranked paddle picks, including the all-court JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm , cut that list down to the models actually worth buying.
pickleball paddles
JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm
The paddle that Ben Johns helped develop for all-court play. A carbon fiber surface generates reliable spin while the 16mm core balances soft-game control with enough power for attacking fourth shots. Elongated shape favors players with a tennis background.
Sources
Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), U.S. Pickleball Participation and Topline Participation Report, 2024 and 2025.
Association of Pickleball Players (APP) with YouGov, national pickleball participation survey, 2023.
USA Pickleball, Annual Growth Report and Places2Play database, 2025.
Pickleball Magazine, Gen Z Is Changing the Game, citing the SFIA 2025 Single Sport Report, 2024.
The Dink Pickleball, reporting on the SFIA Topline Participation figures, 2024 and 2025.
SFIA and Pickleheads, State of Pickleball Report, 2023 and 2024.
Market.us, Pickleball Market report, 2024. Coherent Market Insights, Pickleball Equipment Market, 2025. Dimension Market Research, US Pickleball Paddle Market, 2025.
CBS News, citing UBS analyst estimates on pickleball injury costs, 2023.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How many people play pickleball in the US?+
It depends on how you count. The Sports and Fitness Industry Association reports 24.3 million Americans played pickleball in 2025, its measure of total annual participants. A broader survey by the Association of Pickleball Players and YouGov found 48.3 million adults, about 19 percent of US adults, played at least once in the prior 12 months.
Is pickleball still growing in 2026?+
Yes. SFIA participation grew 22.8 percent from 2024 to 2025 and 171.8 percent over the three years from 2022 to 2025, and the SFIA has named pickleball the fastest-growing US sport for four straight years. Court infrastructure is keeping pace, with more than 14,000 new courts added in the latest USA Pickleball reporting cycle.
What is the average age of a pickleball player?+
The Association of Pickleball Players puts the average player at 34.8 years old, younger than the sport is often assumed to be. More than 70 percent of avid players are between 18 and 44. That said, the game is broad: about 3 million players are 65 or older and teen participation has nearly doubled to about 2 million.
How many pickleball courts are there in the US?+
USA Pickleball counted 82,613 courts across 18,258 distinct locations in its 2025 Annual Growth Report, after adding 14,155 new courts and more than 2,300 new locations in the latest cycle. Dedicated pickleball facilities grew 55 percent year over year.
How big is the pickleball industry?+
Market researchers size the global pickleball market at about 2.2 billion dollars in 2024, projected to reach 9.1 billion by 2034. The paddle segment alone is valued around 184 million dollars in the US for 2025, reflecting a crowded market in which USA Pickleball approved more than 1,200 paddles in a single year.
Are more men or women playing pickleball?+
Slightly more men. The SFIA reports an overall 2025 split of 57 percent male and 43 percent female. Among avid, at-least-monthly players the gap is wider, with the Association of Pickleball Players finding 62 percent male and 38 percent female.