(November 14, 2024) – The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) and Pickleheads today have released the 2024 State of Pickleball: Participation & Infrastructure Report, in conjunction with the USA Pickleball National Championships taking place in Mesa, AZ. Now in its second iteration, the report provides an in-depth analysis of pickleball participation and facilities in the United States. This report highlights the investment required to sustain pickleball’s rapid growth by integrating comprehensive participation and facility data, utilizing data never before available.
For the third year in a row, pickleball is the fastest- growing sport in America, according to SFIA’s Topline Participation Report. Pickleball has grown 51.8% from 2022 to 2023, and an incredible 223.5% in three years, with every single age group seeing increased participation. While many have associated the sport with a higher age participation, the age group with the most participants, 2.3 million people, is actually the 25–34 age range. The sport added over 1 million children under the age of 18 from 2022 to 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 we are seeing, 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,” states Alex Kerman, Senior Director of Research & 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.”
Although the average number of days CORE pickleball players participated decreased from 40 days in 2022 to 31 days in 2023, this drop is largely due to the influx of new CORE players, which demonstrates pickleball’s growing appeal. This indicates a healthy, expanding sport with increasing levels of engagement, which paves the way for continued success in the future and is a positive sign.
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,” states 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 5-7 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.
The 2024 State of Pickleball: Participation & Infrastructure Report is now available for purchase for $150 for SFIA Members and $350 for non-members by clicking here.
These reports are provided free of charge to members of the media. If you are interested in a copy of the report or an interview with an SFIA or Pickleheads representative, please contact Lisa Futterman at [email protected]. When sourcing data in this report, please cite both organizations and include a link to both sfia.org and pickleheads.com.
*Please note that SFIA’s participation data is for calendar year 2023 and Pickleheads data for facilities/courts is for calendar year 2024.
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ABOUT SFIA: The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), the #1 source for sport and fitness research, is the leading global trade association of manufacturers, retailers, and marketers in the sports products and fitness industry. SFIA seeks to promote sports and fitness participation, as well as industry vitality through research, thought leadership, public affairs, industry affairs, and member services. For more information, please visit sfia.org.