Pickleball Growth Statistics You Need to Know in 2025

Since its humble beginnings in 1965, pickleball has gone from a neighborhood’s little fun on the weekend to a full-blown national craze. Today, it’s known as one of the fastest-growing sports in the US. Let’s break down the numbers and see just how big the pickleball wave has gotten over the past years.

Number of Pickleball Players

Year over year, the number of pickleball players continues to climb, showing no signs of slowing down. From just 3.5 million players in 2019 to 19.8 million in 2024, it’s clear that the sport is booming. If this trend keeps up, hitting 20 million players by the end of 2025 would hardly be surprising.

Pickleball Demographics: How Old Are Most Players?

According to a recent report from the SFIA, the largest age group of pickleball players is now 25–34 years old (16.70%), followed by those over 65 (15.40%) and then players aged 18–24 (13.30%). This shift reflects how pickleball has grown beyond its original base and is now capturing the interest of younger generations too.

Who Rules the Court? Boomers, Millennials, or Gen Z?

Some people may still think of pickleball as a sport for boomers, thanks to its low-impact yet enjoyable nature that appeals to seniors. While that may have been true in the past, the sport’s recent boom tells a different story as millennials and Gen Z entered the competition over who will rule the courts.

From the data above, the shifting in the largest age group shows that pickleball has gained popularity among younger generations who appreciate the fast pace, social aspects, and fitness benefits that pickleball offers in recent years.

Millennials and Gen Z bring a fresh energy and style to pickleball, fueling its rapid growth, whether in casual play or competitive leagues nationwide. Meanwhile, boomers are enjoying the sport’s accessibility and community feel, proving that pickleball is bridging generations together.

But is the largest age group of pickleball players important? Yes, for many aspects like event planning, marketing, product development, etc., but beyond demographics and numbers, pickleball is a sport that brings people of all ages together. Whether you’re a boomer, millennial, or Gen Z, the court becomes a place to build friendships, share laughs, and create lasting memories. That’s the real power of pickleball—uniting generations through fun and friendly competition.

The Fastest-Growing States for Pickleball

While Florida, California, and Texas continue to dominate the growth chart, the official DUPR Facebook page recently posted a chart listing the fastest-growing U.S. states in terms of DUPR player registrations, with Iowa, South Dakota, and South Carolina topping the list.

While this data is certainly interesting, it’s good to keep in mind that this data doesn’t reflect a complete nationwide dataset or methodology. Still, it offers a glimpse into where the sport may be booming in unexpected places, especially outside the traditional pickleball strongholds like California and Florida.

Pickleball Facilities: How Many Courts Are in The US?

Following the boom in pickleball in the US, demand for pickleball facilities increased rapidly in many states. From Pickleheads court database, there are over 76,000 courts constructed in the US and 17,055 places to play. Here is the list of the top 10 states that have the most facilities for pickleball:

From Hobby to Heat: Tournament Growth by the Numbers

As pickleball exploded in the US, millions of players had entered the courts. With how fast pickleball has grown, the demand for leagues and tournaments from players with ambition has begun to surge.

Tracking the exact number of tournaments is anything but easy, as each source counts differently, some count only sanctioned national events, while others include local club tournaments.

According to the 2024 USA Pickleball Annual Growth Report, the organization sanctioned 142 tournaments. Meanwhile, pro tours like PPA, APP, and MLP held 26, 19, and 11 events, respectively, totaling nearly 200 tournaments nationwide. This number is lower than the 2023 total of around 240 events.

Does the decrease in numbers signal the downfall of pickleball? Not at all. With player numbers continuing to rise in 2024, the dip may reflect shifts in scheduling, consolidation among tours, or a growing number of unsanctioned local events happening outside the major circuits.

Conclusion

Despite the decline in the number of tournaments held by major organizations, the growing number of pickleball players suggests otherwise. In fact, every statistic—from player growth and shifting demographics to the rise of new facilities—points to a sport that’s not just growing, but evolving. Pickleball has become more than just a weekend hobby; it’s a movement bringing together people of all ages, backgrounds, and states.

Whether you're competing in a national tournament, playing at your local rec center, or just picking up a paddle for the first time, you're part of the wave. And if current trends are any indication, that wave is only getting stronger.

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References

Pickleheads. (2025). Pickleball statistics - the numbers behind America's fastest-growing sport. https://www.pickleheads.com/blog/pickleball-statistics 

Pickleball Athletic Club. (2025). How fast is pickleball growing Explosive Growth Shatters US Sports Records. https://playatpac.com/how-fast-is-pickleball-growing/ 

Association of Pickleball Players. (2023). New APP Research Reveals Nearly 50 Million Adult Americans Have Played Pickleball In The Last 12 Months; Average Age Drops To 35. https://www.theapp.global/news/nearly-50-million-adult-americans-have-played-pickleball

USA Pickleball. (2024). 2023 USA Pickleball Annual Facts & Highlights. https://usapickleball.org/about-us/organizational-docs/2023-pickleball-annual-growth-report/

USA Pickleball. (2025). 2024 USA Pickleball Annual Facts & Highlights. https://usapickleball.org/about-us/organizational-docs/pickleball-annual-growth-report/ 

Market.us. (2025). Pickleball Statistics 2025 By Game, Players, Regions. https://www.news.market.us/pickleball-statistics/

Major League Pickleball. (n.d.). MLP Events. https://www.majorleaguepickleball.co/events-2023/

Major League Pickleball. (n.d.). MLP 2024 season. https://www.majorleaguepickleball.co/events-2024/

Professional Pickleball Association. (n.d.). Schedule. https://www.ppatour.com/schedule/

Association of Pickleball Players. (n.d.). Schedule. https://www.theapp.global/tour

DUPR Pickleball. (2025, July 5). All 50 states have DUPR users—top 3 fastest-growing states in the last 30 days: Iowa (↑6.8%), South Dakota (↑6.7%), and South Carolina (↑6.2%). [Image attached to Facebook post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/DUPRPB/posts/pfbid0oXjxYDm3MLGD3wsR9WZz9ZBuujRUuChzTAhmhYLWF9FSd34VQpaRyiXXvrDDhHeel?rdid=UgrVKCUF6l3j7wWK#