Home › Skating rinks by the numbers
Skating rinks by the numbers, 2026
2,576 roller and ice skating rinks in 50 states and DC, with 909,547 Google reviews between them. Here is where they are, which states lean roller and which lean ice, what they offer and how they're rated. Writers and researchers are welcome to use these numbers with a link to this page.
The short version
| Skating rinks listed | 2,576 |
| Roller rinks | 1,130 |
| Ice rinks | 1,532 |
| Both roller and ice | 107 |
| Outdoor or seasonal | 321 (12.5%) |
| Cities with a listed rink | 1,786 |
| Rinks per 100,000 people | 0.76 |
| Average Google rating | 4.35 ★ |
| Mention birthday parties | 62.2% |
| Mention lessons | 41.9% |
| Mention adult nights | 13.6% |
- Wyoming has the most listed skating rinks per person: 2.38 per 100,000 residents, against 0.76 nationwide.
- The South skates on wheels, the North on ice. 66.5% of the South's rinks are roller rinks, against 23.4% in the Northeast and 37.7% in the Midwest.
- Mississippi is the most roller-heavy state: 20 roller rinks to 2 ice (90.9% roller).
- Vermont is the most ice-heavy: 10 ice rinks and no roller rink listed.
- Birthday parties are the most-mentioned program overall, at 62.2% of all rinks: 81.5% of roller rinks and 47.4% of ice rinks.
- Adult nights are a roller thing: 25.0% of roller rinks mention them in reviews or on their website, against 5.4% of ice rinks.
- Chicago, IL has the most rinks of any city in our listings: 16. Per person, Fargo, ND leads the cities of 100,000+ people with 5.14 per 100,000.
- South Dakota has the highest average Google rating: 4.66 across 17 rinks.
Skating rinks per 100,000 residents, by state
| # | State | Rinks | Population | Per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 14 | 587,618 | 2.38 |
| 2 | Alaska | 16 | 740,133 | 2.16 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 121 | 5,793,151 | 2.09 |
| 4 | North Dakota | 16 | 796,568 | 2.01 |
| 5 | South Dakota | 17 | 924,669 | 1.84 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 129 | 7,136,171 | 1.81 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 24 | 1,409,032 | 1.70 |
| 8 | Maine | 22 | 1,405,012 | 1.57 |
| 9 | Vermont | 10 | 648,493 | 1.54 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 89 | 5,960,975 | 1.49 |
| 11 | Colorado | 84 | 5,957,493 | 1.41 |
| 12 | Michigan | 132 | 10,140,459 | 1.30 |
| 13 | Montana | 14 | 1,137,233 | 1.23 |
| 14 | Connecticut | 41 | 3,675,069 | 1.12 |
| 15 | Idaho | 22 | 2,001,619 | 1.10 |
Roller vs ice, by region
Roller rinks as a share of all roller and ice rinks in each US Census region. Nationwide it's 42.4% roller.
| Region | Roller | Ice | Roller share | Rinks per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | 147 | 481 | 23.4% | 1.05 |
| Midwest | 315 | 520 | 37.7% | 1.17 |
| South | 469 | 236 | 66.5% | 0.52 |
| West | 199 | 295 | 40.3% | 0.58 |
What rinks offer
Share of rinks whose customer reviews or own website mention each program. 89.4% of rinks have at least one, and 53.1% have three or more. These are floors: a rink can run a program its reviews and website don't mention.
| Program | Rinks | All rinks | Roller rinks | Ice rinks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public skating | 1,322 | 51.3% | 34.4% | 63.5% |
| Lessons | 1,080 | 41.9% | 24.8% | 54.0% |
| Birthday parties | 1,601 | 62.2% | 81.5% | 47.4% |
| Adult nights | 350 | 13.6% | 25.0% | 5.4% |
| Skate rental | 1,168 | 45.3% | 42.4% | 47.7% |
| Hockey | 1,147 | 44.5% | 8.9% | 71.5% |
| Figure skating | 700 | 27.2% | 2.4% | 45.2% |
| Roller derby | 67 | 2.6% | 5.9% | 0.4% |
Average Google rating, by state
States with 15 or more listed rinks. Each rink counts once, whatever its review count. The national average is 4.35 and the median is 4.4.
| # | State | Rinks | Avg rating | Rated 4.5+ | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | 17 | 4.66 | 75.0% | 2,021 |
| 2 | Maine | 22 | 4.54 | 68.2% | 2,289 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 121 | 4.46 | 59.0% | 23,419 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 24 | 4.45 | 41.7% | 3,454 |
| 5 | North Dakota | 16 | 4.45 | 53.3% | 1,999 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 89 | 4.43 | 55.3% | 16,797 |
| 7 | Iowa | 25 | 4.42 | 54.2% | 5,789 |
| 8 | Idaho | 22 | 4.42 | 40.9% | 5,945 |
| 9 | Illinois | 138 | 4.40 | 42.4% | 41,210 |
| 10 | Washington | 38 | 4.38 | 45.9% | 19,239 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | 128 | 4.37 | 34.4% | 46,799 |
| 12 | Florida | 80 | 4.37 | 38.8% | 59,540 |
| 13 | Arizona | 21 | 4.37 | 57.1% | 15,882 |
| 14 | New Jersey | 71 | 4.36 | 38.6% | 23,202 |
| 15 | Indiana | 62 | 4.36 | 32.8% | 21,033 |
| 16 | Maryland | 40 | 4.36 | 46.2% | 15,706 |
| 17 | Oregon | 21 | 4.36 | 28.6% | 11,578 |
| 18 | Alaska | 16 | 4.36 | 35.7% | 1,776 |
| 19 | Ohio | 112 | 4.35 | 36.4% | 45,528 |
| 20 | Missouri | 62 | 4.35 | 39.3% | 22,289 |
| 21 | Virginia | 46 | 4.35 | 28.3% | 18,158 |
| 22 | Michigan | 132 | 4.34 | 34.4% | 43,854 |
| 23 | Utah | 35 | 4.34 | 58.8% | 26,965 |
| 24 | New Mexico | 16 | 4.34 | 33.3% | 4,103 |
| 25 | North Carolina | 65 | 4.33 | 33.8% | 37,782 |
| 26 | New York | 170 | 4.32 | 35.5% | 46,069 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | 35 | 4.32 | 28.6% | 11,239 |
| 28 | Alabama | 30 | 4.32 | 36.7% | 10,446 |
| 29 | California | 169 | 4.31 | 39.6% | 57,755 |
| 30 | Kansas | 27 | 4.31 | 24.0% | 7,756 |
| 31 | Arkansas | 22 | 4.31 | 36.4% | 8,012 |
| 32 | Colorado | 84 | 4.30 | 47.0% | 20,517 |
| 33 | Tennessee | 42 | 4.30 | 35.7% | 19,181 |
| 34 | Louisiana | 18 | 4.30 | 33.3% | 6,995 |
| 35 | Texas | 145 | 4.29 | 34.5% | 87,743 |
| 36 | South Carolina | 26 | 4.29 | 16.0% | 12,698 |
| 37 | Nevada | 15 | 4.29 | 33.3% | 8,666 |
| 38 | Connecticut | 41 | 4.28 | 16.2% | 8,739 |
| 39 | Massachusetts | 129 | 4.27 | 31.5% | 18,820 |
| 40 | Mississippi | 22 | 4.26 | 27.3% | 5,486 |
| 41 | Georgia | 68 | 4.24 | 29.9% | 33,871 |
| 42 | Kentucky | 26 | 4.21 | 23.1% | 9,586 |
How skating rinks are rated
39.0% of listed rinks have a Google rating of 4.5 or higher. The median rink has 184 reviews.
| Google rating | Rinks | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 4.8 to 5.0 | 223 | 8.8% |
| 4.5 to 4.7 | 761 | 30.2% |
| 4.0 to 4.4 | 1,308 | 51.9% |
| 3.5 to 3.9 | 172 | 6.8% |
| Under 3.5 | 56 | 2.2% |
| Rink type | Rinks | Avg rating | Rated 4.5+ | Median reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roller only | 1,023 | 4.32 | 32.3% | 298 |
| Ice only | 1,425 | 4.36 | 43.8% | 146 |
| Roller and ice | 107 | 4.35 | 39.4% | 157 |
| Outdoor or seasonal | 321 | 4.37 | 48.6% | 113 |
More data
- Rinks per capita: every state and the biggest cities ranked by rinks per 100,000 residents, plus the cities with the most rinks.
- Roller vs ice: which states lean roller and which lean ice, state by state and by region.
- Rink programs: how many rinks host birthday parties, teach lessons or run adult nights, according to their reviews and websites, by rink type and by state.
How we count
Which rinks. We count only the rinks listed in this directory. A place is listed when Google files it as a skating rink and its name, customer reviews or own website confirm people skate there, or when its reviews or website clearly show a rink open to the public. Arenas whose reviews are only about hockey games and practices, and seasonal pop-ups with no website and no recent reviews, are left out. A state or city may have more rinks than we list.
Roller or ice. A rink counts as roller or ice when Google lists it in that category, its name says so, its reviews mostly describe that kind of skating, or its website does. 107 rinks count as both. A few rinks have neither proof and count in the totals only.
Programs. A rink counts for a program (public skating, lessons, birthday parties, adult nights, skate rental, hockey, figure skating, roller derby) when its website mentions it or its Google reviews do. We read a sample of each rink's most relevant reviews, not every review, so program shares are floors, not totals. Outdoor or seasonal works the same way.
Ratings. The Google rating and review count on each rink's listing when we collected it. Averages are simple means, with each rink counted once.
Population and regions. Per-capita figures use the US Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 population estimates (July 1, 2024): state totals for states, and incorporated city populations for cities. A rink counts for the city named in its address, which doesn't always match city limits, so treat city figures as approximate. Regions are the four US Census Bureau regions.