VIRGINIA, USA — The pickleball craze has taken over the DMV, and new data shows that one of the best states in the country to play the sport is right in the area.
The Pickleball Union created the rankings for best states to play pickleball after evaluating multiple factors including monthly searches for related terms scaled against population, the number of courts, average annual precipitation, and the average temperature from 72 F. Through this method they assigned each state a score out of 100.
The state that ranks the highest on the list is Arizona with a score of 74.6. On the other end of the spectrum is Louisiana, which has been named the worst state for the pickleball. Among the top 10 states is Virginia ranking at #10 with a final score of 55.
Though pickleball has become popular in the area, Maryland comes in at the bottom of the list -- it is actually ranked #8 for the worst state for pickleball enthusiasts. Maryland scored a 37; on the list #6 Wisconsin and #7 Pennsylvania also received the same score.
“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," Paul Lemley, CEO of Pickleball Union 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.”
In Northern Virginia, Pickleball has caused a stir among communities, which WUSA9 has been reporting on for almost a year. The issue? The noise the sports brings.
When asked if pickleball is louder than other sports, our Verify team says the "annoyance is more likely rooted in pitch and perception rather than the sport’s raw volume."