The Average Pickleball Player Was About 35—But the Figure Needs a Date and Definition

A defensible short answer is about 35 years old in the United States. That is a survey estimate, not a fixed fact about every player—and it should not be presented as a 2026 average.

SFIA reported an average age of 35 for U.S. pickleball participants in calendar year 2022. APP-commissioned YouGov research released in March 2023 reported 34.8 among U.S. adults who had played during the previous 12 months.

Source	Survey reference period	Players covered	Reported average age
SFIA/Pickleheads, released August 2023	Calendar 2022	U.S. participants age 6+	35
APP/YouGov, released March 2023	Previous 12 months	U.S. adults with any participation	34.8
APP/YouGov, released March 2023	Previous 12 months	“Avid” adults who played at least monthly	35.0

These results are close enough to support ~35 as shorthand for those dated U.S. estimates. They do not establish the precise average for today’s player population.

What the 35-year figure measures

SFIA and Pickleheads published the 35-year figure in their 2023 State of Pickleball report, using participation data for calendar year 2022. The release also reported 8.9 million participants and identified ages 25–34 as the largest age group; ages 18–24 and 65+ were tied for second (SFIA).

The underlying SFIA participation program covers Americans age six and older, so its average includes children as well as adults (SFIA). Its annual research uses a nationwide online sample weighted to the U.S. population. For example, the published methodology for the 2024 study records 18,000 interviews, weighting by demographic and geographic variables, and a rolling 12-month participation measure (Physical Activity Council).

The APP result covers a different population. A table published with its YouGov research reports an average of 34.8 for adults with any participation in the prior 12 months and 35.0 for adults playing at least once a month (Sports Business Journal). APP’s release says 40% of avid players were ages 25–34 and more than 70% were 18–44 (APP).

The studies therefore should not be treated as duplicate measurements. SFIA includes participants from age six; APP begins at 18. Their participation totals also differ substantially because their questionnaires and participation thresholds differ—the same issue that complicates any answer to how many people play pickleball.

Newer data does not provide a newer average

SFIA’s June 2026 public release covers participation in 2025 but does not state an overall average age. It says ages 13–24 had the highest participation rates of any age segment, while total U.S. participation reached 24.3 million (SFIA’s 2026 Pickleball Single Sport Report release).

That finding cannot be converted into a new mean. A participation rate asks what percentage of people within an age group played. It is not the same as that group’s share of all players.

The distinction is visible in the preceding year’s data. For calendar 2023, SFIA reported that ages 25–34 had the largest player count, at 2.3 million, while every age group grew (SFIA and Pickleheads). Neither that count nor the newer participation-rate finding provides enough information to calculate an overall mean.

The figure to quote

For a general description, use:

The average U.S. pickleball player was about 35 years old in 2022–23 survey estimates.

For current demographic analysis, add that SFIA’s 2025 participation data shows high participation rates among teens and young adults, but its public 2026 release did not provide a newer overall average. This keeps a useful statistic from being quietly relabeled as a current-year figure.