SAN DIEGO — Pickleball — a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong — has gained popularity in recent years with more players hitting courts around the country.

With National Pickleball Day set for Aug. 8, lawn care service site Lawn Love has compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities to find the best areas for pickleball enthusiasts.

Factors that were taken into consideration included access to pickleball courts and tournaments, the size of the pickleball community, and local interest in the sport. A “weight” was then assigned to each key factor.

As it turns out, San Diego is among the best U.S. cities for pickleball with a ranking of 17th out of 200. America’s Finest City landed itself in this spot for these reasons: San Diego is in third place for most pickleball groups, 17th place for most pickleball courts and 18th place for most pickleball facilities.

Other California cities that made the top 200 include Los Angeles in 12th place, San Francisco in 15th, Sacramento in 34th, San Jose in 35th and Roseville in 75th.

The best city in the country for pickleball lovers, according to this study, is New York with a number one ranking in each key category.

On the other hand, the lowest ranked U.S. city for the paddle sport was listed by Lawn Love as Paterson, New Jersey.

Here’s a look at the top 20 cities in the country for pickleball, based on this analysis:

Grab your paddle and your pickleball partner to enjoy this popular paddle sport right here at home in San Diego.