SKATEDEXMethodology
Everything a fact-checker needs to evaluate the Skatedex Annual Index 2026. If a definition is not on this page, we do not use it.
What counts as a skatepark
Every entry in the Skatedex directory that is (1) inside the United States, (2) not marked closed, and (3) has verified coordinates. That is 2,632 parks as of 2026-09-14. The directory covers purpose-built public skateparks, skate plazas, and pump tracks; it includes 82 indoor facilities. DIY spots without a fixed verified location and street spots are not in the directory and are not counted. Four US parks marked closed were excluded, as were listings without verified coordinates.
Population source
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates (resident population as of July 1, 2024), retrieved September 2026 from census.gov (NST-EST2024 for states, SUB-EST2024 for places). The District of Columbia is excluded from state rankings in this edition: our directory coverage of DC does not yet meet the completeness bar, and we would rather omit a jurisdiction than publish a number we cannot stand behind. Washington appears in the city rankings, where its catchment includes Maryland and Virginia parks. Puerto Rico is excluded from both park counts and population.
City rankings and the population floor
City rankings cover the 342 incorporated places with at least 100,000 residents in the Vintage 2024 Population Estimates. The floor exists because per-capita rankings mislead on small denominators: a town of 400 with one park would top any naive list. Consolidated city-county governments are counted by their balance population; Honolulu is included via its census-designated place. Cities below the floor still appear in the underlying parks data.
How city access is measured
Each city is represented by its geographic center point (geocoded once and frozen in the edition snapshot). We report two measures: parks within 10 miles of that point per 100,000 residents (the ranking metric), and straight-line distance to the nearest park anywhere (the desert metric). The 10-mile catchment can include parks in neighboring municipalities; that is intentional, because a skater in a city core can and does ride to the next town over. Population is the city proper, so per-capita figures are conservative for cities whose suburbs share the same parks. Distances are great-circle (straight line), not driving distance.
Growth and the baseline
We do not publish growth figures in this edition. A defensible year-over-year number needs a clean prior-year snapshot, and none exists: opening years are recorded for roughly 8% of US parks in the directory, and extrapolating growth from a partial field would be an estimate dressed as a measurement. Instead, this edition is the frozen baseline. The full park snapshot behind it is stored immutably, and the 2027 edition will report real growth against it.
Editions are frozen
The figures on every 2026 Annual Index page are frozen as published and will not change, even as the live Skatedex directory grows daily. The edition year is in every URL. Corrections, if ever needed, would be noted visibly on this page rather than silently applied.
Known limitations
The directory aims for completeness but cannot guarantee it; a missing park understates its area. City center points summarize sprawling cities imperfectly. Straight-line distance understates real travel distance. Park size and quality are not weighted: a 40,000 sq ft concrete park and a modular mini count equally. These limitations apply uniformly, so rankings are comparable even where absolute values carry uncertainty.
Citing this report
Cite as: Skatedex Annual Index 2026, skatedex.com/annual-index/2026/. Figures are free to cite with attribution. For questions, data requests, or interviews: contact@skatedex.com.
Annual Index 2026 · Methodology · Figures in this edition are frozen as published; cite as "Skatedex Annual Index 2026".