Few sports have exploded in popularity from sea to sea in the U.S. quite like the whiffle ball and racquet pastime that is pickleball.
The sport has continued its ascent in popularity across the United States after the COVID-19 pandemic, with people heading to the courts to get a quick workout with friends.
BetArizona.com, home to the best coverage of Arizona sports betting, utilized Trust For Public Land’s 2022 City Park Facts data on parks in the nation’s 100 largest cities. By grabbing the data, we were able to utilize their pickleball courts per 20,000 residents in the city to come up with our top cities.
Here’s what we found for the U.S., and where a certain Phoenix-area city ranks nationally when it comes to pickleball popularity.
Most Pickleball-Loving U.S. Cities
Scottsdale Among National Leaders in Interest
When people think of Scottsdale, images of golfing, hiking and relaxing along the waterfront likely come to mind.
Evidently, the other pastime that most don’t envision involves a racquet and a whiffle ball, as The West’s Most Western Town is among the national leaders when it comes to pickleball courts per capita.
Overall, Scottsdale ranks in a tie for 12th nationally, alongside Henderson, Nevada, and Tampa when it comes to the number of courts per 20,000 residents (1.5).
Although pickleball is catching on in the state, Arizona sports betting apps don’t take wagers on the sport. They do take bets on the French and Spanish handball leagues as well as numerous pro tennis events.
Scottsdale is the lone Arizona city to crack the pickleball popularity list, while Henderson is the only location in a state that neighbors the Grand Canyon State to make the cut.
Nationally, Seattle (3.0), Des Moines (2.9), Columbus, Ohio (2.7), St. Paul (2.6) and Honolulu (2.5) lead the way when it comes to pickleball courts per capita.
The only other state west of the Rockies to make the list was Boise, which finished 10th.
It seems like fans of pickleball should make their way east on Camelback Road and pull up to Scottsdale, which has fully embraced the fledgling sport on a citywide basis.
