Who Is Playing 0n the Court?

Pickleball's Growing Crowd: A Sport for All Ages, Driven by Youth and Accessibility

The New App research has unveiled a surprising trend among avid Pickleball players. These dedicated players, engaging in the sport at least once a month, are considerably younger than previously believed.

The average age of the players engaging with this sport was 38.1 years in 2021, a drop from 41 years in 2020. Moreover, the additional demographic data illustrated below explains how not only young, but people from all age groups engage with this sport.

The reasons for this can be traced back to the fact that the sport is easy to play. Pickleball is easier to learn than Tennis, which presents the players with rigorous physical challenges.

You don’t need to learn exceptional athletic abilities to get started with this sport. All you have to do is perform basic lateral movements and try to hit the ball using a paddle. It is a relatively low-impact sport, hence, doesn’t break down your body as observed in other sports.

An individual, irrespective of his or her age with basic hand-eye coordination can play this sport the whole afternoon.

Key pickleball statistics

Let's take a look at the figures for 2024:

• There are an estimated 48.3 million pickleball players in the United States according to the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) in 2024.
• Pickleball participation has grown an average of 158% over the last 2 years according to the SFIA.

• Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America for the past three years.

• Players 18-34 make up the largest percentage of pickleball players at 28.8% nationwide.

• There are currently 13,969+ pickleball courts in the United States.

• The pickleball paddle market size is estimated at $152.8 million in 2023 and is forecasted to grow at 7.7% CAGR through 2028.