From Courts to Cash: How Pickleball is Powering Local Economies
A new research by Dink shows pickleball tournaments pumping millions into local economies and sparking small-business growth across U.S. cities.
We set out to write this report because over the past few years, pickleball has surged from niche activity to mainstream movement, not just filling courts but reshaping neighborhoods, budgets, and economies. And yet, despite its explosive growth, much of the national conversation has overlooked what’s happening at the local level. We have national stats and national growth reports, but what about pickleball’s impact on cities?
This research focuses on the real, measurable ways pickleball transforms cities using the very scarce information that is out there. We chose to tell this story now because city planners, investors, and local businesses are no longer asking whether pickleball matters; they’re asking how to keep up and make it a success.
Key Findings:
$14M+ in local revenue from one tournament in Naples, FL.
Over 68,000 pickleball courts across the U.S.
55,000+ visitors per tournament in some cities.
Cities investing up to $75M in new facilities.
Pickleball Tourism: Tournaments Fueling Travel Revenues
One of the biggest impacts of pickleball has been on tourism. Cities hosting major pickleball tournaments have seen surges of visiting players and fans, and, of course, the rise in income that comes with them. Below are the top cities in the USA that earned the most during a yearly tournament.
Tournament | Year | City | N players | Spectators | Economic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Huntsman World Senior Games | 2018 | St. George, Utah | ~1,065 | - | $17 million |
United Pickleball Association World Championships | 2024 | Farmers Branch, Texas | 4,200 | 57,500 | $15.7 million |
Minto US Open Pickleball Championship | 2025 | Naples, Florida | 3,450 | 55,000 | $14+ million |
USA Pickleball National Championships | 2024 | Mesa, Arizona | 2,600+ | 10,000 | $3.6+ million |
Although in the above table we mentioned the benefits for each city for big tournaments, let’s not forget about small tournaments and consistency. For example, Punta Gorda, Florida, has hosted multiple state and professional tournaments since its opening in 2019, contributing an estimated $10 million to the local economy.
San Diego, California: Anticipates a similar economic boost from the 2025 Pickleball National Championships, with projections of over $3.6 million in revenue, reflecting the city's growing role as a pickleball hub. (thecoastnews.com)
A Peachtree City council member shared projections showing that an 18- to 24-court pickleball facility could draw around 250 players per day, with 40% visiting from outside the city. This steady influx of players is expected to generate roughly $1,400 in daily spending at local businesses, adding up to nearly $500,000 in annual economic impact for the community.
The pattern is clear: hosting pickleball tournaments brings in visitors who spend money, helping to boost local economies. Tournament weekends create tourism surges in off-peak seasons, especially in sunbelt cities. In regions where pickleball tournaments are hosted, local businesses, such as hotels and restaurants, often result in millions of dollars in direct economic impact.
Smaller cities and regional areas that have been consistently hosting small pickleball events have also seen the positive effects of pickleball tourism over the years.
How Pickleball Affects Local Business Growth
Beyond one-off events, pickleball’s rise has fostered year-round local business growth in many communities. The sport’s enthusiasts don’t just play, they spend. This has given birth to new businesses and boosted existing ones.
"We have held tournaments, and we have already raised over $800,000 in economic impact for Charlotte County," said Gloria Reilly, Treasurer for PicklePlex of Punta Gorda.
Pickleball’s rapid rise isn’t just about the thrill of the game. Beyond the courts, it’s fueling local economies by generating jobs, creating new businesses, and giving existing ones a significant boost.
1. Pickleball Entertainment Venues & Restaurants
What’s happening: An innovative indoor/outdoor concept; a casual restaurant + bar surrounded by pickleball courts and yard games.
A success story: Chicken N Pickle - wildly successful concept combining pickleball, food, and drinks.
Started in: Kansas City, 2016.
Current expansion: 10 locations open + 6 more in development.
Local business impact: For instance, when Glendale, Arizona, landed a Chicken N Pickle at its Westgate Entertainment District (next to the NFL stadium) in 2022, city officials estimated it would attract over 700,000 visitors annually and create 150+ jobs. Smaller-scale entrepreneurs have followed suit with local pickleball pubs, coffee shops with courts, and even “pickleball country clubs.” The “eatertainment” sector built around pickleball is now a proven business model, and it directly funnels money into local economies via construction, employment, and ongoing operational spending.
2. Sporting Goods & Retail
What’s happening: The Local pickleball gear market is booming with growing demand for paddles, balls, and apparel. Many famous sports equipment manufacturers and retailers created separate categories of pickleball paddles, balls, and apparel.
A success story: pickleball's growing popularity helped to establish local and USA-made pickleball brands, like Dink (San Francisco), contributing to local manufacturing and design jobs. Starting from small, Dink is a local pickleball manufacturer, based in San Francisco, that has now spread nationwide.
“We’ve seen pickleball paddles demand explode, yes, and I’m very happy about it. But what’s moved us most is seeing how the sport brings people together,” says Mike Hardy, founder of Dink. “As a local manufacturer, we’ve grown alongside the sport and seen firsthand how it boosts local communities.”
Economic impact: The increase in pickleball courts (over 68,458 in the U.S.) directly fuels this retail boom, creating jobs in manufacturing and retail across the country.
3. Hospitality & Services: A Boost for Local Eateries and Hotels
What’s happening: Pickleball tournaments and facilities bring large crowds, boosting local restaurants, cafes, bars, and hotels. Considering the social nature of pickleball, it’s common, for example, for groups of pickleball players to socialize after matches in nearby coffee shops in the morning and pubs in the evening.
Success story: For example, during the US Open in Naples, there were 55,000 spectators. Considering that the city has 6,100 hotel rooms, it’s obvious that all the rooms will be booked, and there will be many guests who will book hotels in nearby locations. This huge influx of visitors is leading to more jobs in housekeeping, front desk, and restaurant services.
Economic impact: Local restaurants, food trucks, and even travel agencies benefit from higher tournament attendance. These are not the only industries that benefit. There are also car rentals, local print shops, and merch vendors that benefit when the tournament participants and fans order banners, T-shirts, and promo materials. As a result of this ripple effect, the city’s tax collections also increase, affecting the overall local well-being of the city.
4. Investments & Franchises: Big Bets on Pickleball’s Future
What’s happening: Considering how rapidly pickleball is growing and how popular it’s getting in the USA, investors are putting money into pickleball local courts and infrastructure, with large developments in states like Florida, Utah, Arizona, etc.
Example: Pickleball Club of Georgia, at over 110,000 square feet, or Pure Pickleball & Padel (Riverwalk, Scottsdale, AZ), built on 11 acres. Life Time Fitness (a national gym chain) has been converting many of its tennis courts into pickleball courts (they now operate over 750 permanent pickleball courts across North America) and even hosting tournaments, driving membership growth.
Economic impact: New clubs and facilities create jobs in construction, hospitality, management, etc. These developments are not only generating employment but also positioning pickleball as a sustainable business model that fuels long-term local prosperity. Also, the steady development and investments attract new pickleball players and coaches who consider pickleball to be a new career choice; more and more colleges are investing in pickleball courts.
Pickleball is now big business, and cities that offer a welcoming environment are seeing fresh economic activity.
Real Estate & Construction
Another big outcome of pickleball’s popularity is its impact on local real estate and development. As the sport became a lifestyle amenity, it began to influence construction, community planning, and land use decisions:
Pickleball Communities & New Developments
Constructors and developers have noticed how lucrative anything related to pickleball is getting and are increasingly incorporating pickleball into new projects. The most notable example is The Villages (Florida), often dubbed the “Mecca of Pickleball”, that offers 200+ pickleball courts spread across its neighborhoods, anchoring its reputation as a paradise for active lifestyle lovers.
Many developers are adding pickleball courts to new housing projects as a key selling point for healthy lifestyle-focused buyers. This trend has been so strong that even luxury home builders now mention pickleball as a lucrative add-on; e.g., a high-rise condo in Miami with a rooftop pickleball court is listed for $37.5 M.
The trend spread to senior communities; several new senior living communities in the Midwest broke ground with pickleball courts included in their amenities. For example, Viva Bene (St. Peters, Missouri) senior living community includes outdoor pickleball courts as part of its wellness‑focused program.
Redevelopment of Existing Spaces
Pickleball is also reshaping existing real estate, and in a good way. There are many underutilized tennis courts, parks, and even shopping malls that have been given a second chance and are being reconstructed as pickleball venues. City parks departments from coast to coast have been converting little-used spaces into pickleball courts to meet public demand.
One example: ¨The City of Arlington is designing pickleball courts to be constructed at the Old High School (at the east end near the stadium) in partnership with Snohomish County and the School District.¨ (arlingtonwa.gov).
Similarly, Seattle is building pickleball courts in place of the former space occupied by Theo Chocolate (fox13seattle.com). And some struggling shopping malls have been partly converted into pickleball facilities; for example, the former Meriden Mall in Michigan was turned into an indoor pickleball club. It seems it’s a new trend, as several other mall owners in Ohio, Illinois, and Arizona have leased abandoned store space to pickleball facilities.
Each such conversion helps to reuse empty buildings, repurposing underused real estate.
Municipal and Commercial Development
Many cities poured money into upgrading pickleball facilities, often funded by tourism taxes or grants. These public investments create construction jobs and also indicate a shift in urban planning.
Collier County, FL, invested over $5½ million dollars to build a welcome center and expand and improve the East Naples pickleball complex (adding dozens of courts, seating, a welcome center, and even a shade canopy). Officials justified it by the tournament tourism it brings.
Lee County, FL (Fort Myers) allocated part of a $75 million parks bond to build 9 pickleball courts, recognizing the community demand.
Pictona gets a $2.5 million grant from Volusia County, FL, to double the number of pickleball courts.
The private commercial real estate sector isn’t staying behind the trend, as more and more multi-use sports complexes are increasingly incorporating pickleball courts in their core offering. For example, the $50 million Musco Sports Center proposed in the Quad Cities aims to include a major pickleball facility to put the region “on the international pickleball map”.
Although these are just separate examples, for cities and developers, these investments and constructions represent not just costs but also economic opportunities: contracts for builders, upgrades to recreation infrastructure, and ultimately, more attractive communities that retain and attract residents and tourists.
Local Jobs and Economic Output: Pickleball Means Business (and Employment)
The economic benefits of pickleball aren’t only visible in revenue, but also in the number of jobs it creates. Directly and indirectly, the sport’s growth has supported thousands of local jobs:
Construction and Facilities Jobs
The building and expansion of pickleball facilities created a boom for construction employment. When a city builds 20 new courts or a private contractor renovates a mall into an indoor pickleball club, those projects employ architects, designers, contractors, electricians, surface specialists, etc. Indirectly, it creates extra jobs for suppliers and relevant businesses. So, building the pickleball infrastructure itself has become an industry, creating jobs and business for firms in architecture, construction, and sports surfacing.
For example, the Pictona expansion in Daytona, when the construction jobs (and let’s not forget about inflation) were so big, that they started with $4 million initial funding but ended up spending more than $6 million in the first phase only, injecting millions into local construction firms and creating new jobs.
Ongoing Employment at Venues
The employment footprint also varies by venue type: a public outdoor complex might just have a few parks department employees or contractors maintaining the courts, whereas a private club can have dozens of workers.
Large tournaments hire event staff, referees, medics, and vendors, and the numbers can go up to more than 100 temporary employees based on the venue scale. These events also spill over to gig workers (ride-share drivers experienced increased demand during the tournaments, local caterers got contracts for VIP lounges, etc.)
For example, during the 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships on Nov. 9-17 at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Arizona, the pickleball games were overseen by 88 referees.
The US Open in Naples has a whole paid organizing committee and dozens of temporary staff for parking, security, and concessions.
Retail and Manufacturing Jobs
As noted earlier, the pickleball equipment boom has kept factories and suppliers busy. Major sporting goods and new pickleball equipment manufacturers ramped up production, sometimes expanding U.S. manufacturing lines to meet demand for paddles and balls. New startups have emerged, some assembling domestically, adding manufacturing or warehouse jobs in places like Utah and California.
On the retail side, specialty pickleball stores have popped up (often employing a few staff each). There are also local artisans making pickleball-themed merchandise (from T-shirts to jewelry), sold at tournaments or online, supporting small business employment.
Coaching and Professional Athletes
The rise of pickleball has opened up a new category of sports professionals. In 2017, very few people could make a living in pickleball; by 2025, there will be numerous opportunities. Certified pickleball instructors and trainers are in high demand as parks departments and clubs hire them to run clinics and lessons
And for the players at the very top, professional pickleball itself has become a viable career, with top athletes earning six-figure incomes through prize money and endorsements.
Player | City (Born) | Estimated Earnings (2024) |
|---|---|---|
Anna Leigh Waters | Allentown, Pennsylvania | $3 Million |
Ben Johns | Austin, Texas | $2.5 Million |
Tyson McGuffin | Coeur d'Alene, Idaho | $2 Million |
Local Community Engagement as a Social Benefit
While dollars and jobs are crucial, part of pickleball’s success is that it delivers social capital: something cities value deeply. The sport has significantly boosted community engagement and public health, which in turn carries tangible economic implications (from increased recreation revenue to healthcare savings). Cities that invested in pickleball often did so not solely for profit, but to improve the quality of life. Ironically, those improvements circle back to economic gains as well:
For example, many city park programs report that pickleball courts are consistently packed. In Naples, on a typical morning, you might find 400–500 people at East Naples Park either playing or waiting for their turn. The park has become a buzzing social scene that didn’t exist before; participants pay modest fees for morning access (generating revenue used to maintain facilities).
The report spotlighted the Austin Metro Pickleball Association (AMPA), which has around 3,000 to 3,500 members, alongside the Austin Pickleball League (APL). Altogether, it is estimated that 15,000 to 20,000 people play pickleball at least occasionally in the greater Austin area. Roughly 8,000 to 10,000 of them are considered active players, hitting the courts at least twice a month.(austin.culturemap.com)
The Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (GACVB) will host an official Golden Ticket tournament from May 28 to June 1, 2025. As the only Golden Ticket qualifier on the East Coast, this prestigious event gives amateur players a chance to earn their spot in the National Championships.
According to Henri Fourrier, President of the CVB, the tournament is projected to generate more than 3,375 hotel room nights and bring over $2 million in direct economic impact to the local economy. These events typically attract 600 to 800 players from across the country.
Greensboro’s hospitality sector is well-equipped to meet the demand, with approximately 98 hotels and 10,785 rooms, according to data from CoStar.
And finally, there’s an intangible benefit of pickleball, one that carries more weight for local communities than any dollar amount: connection. Beyond the rapid growth and eye-catching investment figures, pickleball has quietly achieved something extraordinary: it’s bringing people together again.
“I was hooked after the first time I played!…discovering pickleball has reintroduced me to that, along with connecting me to many amazing people,” says Tim Schnupp, founder of The PutAway, a new indoor pickleball facility in Millersville, Maryland.
This isn’t something we can measure in statistics or present in a neat graph. It’s not easily explained through a screen. You have to witness it for yourself at a local court, where seniors laugh and rally with teenagers, where pain and age are momentarily forgotten in the game's rhythm. You’ll see young people forming real-life friendships, stepping away from their screens. And of course, some people once swore they hated sports, suddenly finding joy in movement and the promise of a healthier life.
Most beautifully, you’ll see inclusivity - true, heartwarming inclusivity. The kind that knits a community closer.
At the end of this report, that’s the metric that matters most to our team. Not revenue, not charts. But the simple truth: pickleball might just be the best thing to happen to communities in recent years.
Not Forgetting Local Growing Pains: How U.S. Cities Are Balancing Pickleball’s Popularity
Although we focused only on the positive aspects that pickleball brings with it, not every consequence has been smooth. Communities that once struggled to fill underused parks are now facing a very different challenge: keeping up with demand and tuning down the noise.
“The popularity of pickleball has grown so fast that most municipalities just can’t keep up with the pace of the sport,” Camas Parks and Recreation Director Chris Witkowski said. “When I heard about this 10 years ago, I never imagined it would take off the way it has.”
In places like Santa Rosa, CA, and Arlington, VA, residents living near public courts have voiced concerns about constant play, early-morning noise, and crowded parking lots. Some have even petitioned city councils to relocate or limit play hours. The “pop-pop-pop” of pickleball has become a hot-button topic in several neighborhoods.
The cities must respond quickly and find a solution that will satisfy the residents and not hinder the growth of pickleball and the benefits it will bring. For example, they can add sound-dampening fences and implement scheduled play hours.
Conclusion
Many skeptics thought that pickleball was just another hype, that the buzz would soon die. However, pickleball has proven to be far more than just a recreational craze; it’s become a catalyst for economic growth and community revitalization. Starting from 2017, this once-sleepy sport generated tens of millions of dollars for cities that embraced it, spawned new businesses and jobs, and drew countless visitors. It achieved all this while also knitting communities closer: a rare synergy of economic and social benefit.
Pickleball offers a compelling case study for city leaders and economic developers in accessible growth. Adding pickleball courts is relatively low-risk, unlike luring a big corporation or building an expensive stadium. Yet, it can produce outsized impacts in tourism, spending, and community health.
Pickleball shows us that sometimes, a fun, healthy activity can be a powerful engine of growth, boosting tourism, inspiring entrepreneurship, enhancing property values, and creating jobs, all while bringing people together. Cities that recognized this early are enjoying the rewards; those that didn’t are now quickly changing course to catch up.
References:
https://www.usopenpickleball.com/
https://suindependent.com/huntsman-world-senior-games-2/
https://pickleballtournaments.com/
https://www.gulfshorebusiness.com/pickleball-continues-massive-growth-especially-in-swfl/
Meet the Expert
Nadya Morison
Hi, I'm Nadya — a longtime content and data researcher with a passion for storytelling, trends, and all things curious. Over the years, I’ve written for various websites, diving into everything from cultural shifts to consumer behavior. On the Dink´s blog, I bring my research brain (and paddle) to the court to explore the sport’s growth, community, and unexpected cultural moments.
