Idaho ranked 7th best state to play pickleball, according to new research

According to the a press release from Pickleball Union, new research has revealed the best states for playing pickleball — with Arizona crowned top, and Louisiana named the worst. Ranked at No. 7 is Idaho, which has seen a huge increase in pickleball interest over the last decade.

"Pickleball is becoming more popular by the day, so it’s important that states ensure they have solid provisions for players to capitalize on this interest," Pickleball Union CEO Paul Lemly said. "Plus, not only is the sport great for your physical health, but it also has mental health benefits due to its highly social nature.”

When deciding on how to rank each state, pickleball fanatics at Pickleball Union considered factors like monthly searches for related terms scaled against the population, the number of courts, average annual precipitation and the average temperature from 72 degrees, to assign each state a score out of 100.

As well as looking at the above factors, the ranking also considered the number of past pickleball events, upcoming events and the air quality index. According to USA Pickleball and The Sports & Fitness Industry Association, pickleball is now the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. with over 4.8 million players.

“It’s fascinating to see which states are the best for pickleball enthusiasts, as the quality and accessibility of provisions will have a large impact on how many people are able to participate in the sport in each state," Lemly said. "It’s clear that some parts of the U.S. need to prioritize improving their provisions more than others, for example by providing more indoor or outdoor courts for citizens.”

NOTES: The ideal temperature for playing pickleball is between 70 and 80 degrees. This temperature is suitable for pickleball players because colder temperatures mean the ball will not bounce high enough, while higher temperatures mean the ball with soften and not have as much bounce. Rainy weather conditions can be dangerous and result in injury when pickleball is played outside — this may be why some states ranked higher than others.

Credit: pickleballunion.com

The top 10 states for pickleball enthusiasts, scored out of 100

1 - Arizona 74.6

2 - Utah 70.5

3 - Hawaii 62.5

4 - Colorado 62.4

5 - Wyoming 62.3

6 - New Hampshire 60.4

7 - Idaho 57.8

8 - Delaware 57.2

9 - Maine 56.5

10 - Virginia 55.0