# Girls Wrestling Growth by State: NFHS Data

Editable working resource. Source review: 2026-10-20.
Article: https://smartwrestlertracker.com/articles/girls-wrestling-growth-by-state

## How can readers reproduce or challenge the state growth comparison?

Use the downloadable data as a starting point, then reproduce the source extraction for the states relevant to your question. A blank is different from zero. Record both years and the measure before calculating change, and keep school participation reporting separate from claims about clubs, local opponents or a family’s chance of finding an event.

| Planning field | Prompt or example to adapt | Your entry |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Source identity | Record each NFHS survey edition, the girls wrestling table and the printed page reference used for extraction. | __________ |
| State values | Transcribe the two participant counts for the same jurisdiction; leave an unreported prior value missing. | __________ |
| Absolute change | Subtract the earlier reported count from the later one only when both values are available. | __________ |
| Growth calculation | Divide that difference by the earlier reported count; state the denominator and avoid a percentage when it is unavailable. | __________ |
| Interpretation limit | Describe reported high-school participation, not unique all-age wrestlers, local event inventory or guaranteed future growth. | __________ |

## Reported girls wrestling participation by jurisdiction; percentage change = change ÷ 2024–25 count × 100

| Jurisdiction | 2024–25 | 2025–26 | Change | Growth |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Alabama | 916 | 1150 | 234 | 25.5% |
| Alaska | 621 | 507 | -114 | -18.4% |
| Arizona | 1677 | 1843 | 166 | 9.9% |
| Arkansas | 683 | 845 | 162 | 23.7% |
| California | 8831 | 10204 | 1373 | 15.5% |
| Colorado | 1326 | 1751 | 425 | 32.1% |
| Connecticut | 357 | 449 | 92 | 25.8% |
| Delaware | 86 | 291 | 205 | 238.4% |
| Dist. of Columbia | 24 | 30 | 6 | 25.0% |
| Florida | 2130 | 2328 | 198 | 9.3% |
| Georgia | 2095 | 2472 | 377 | 18.0% |
| Hawaii | 616 | 653 | 37 | 6.0% |
| Idaho | 848 | 860 | 12 | 1.4% |
| Illinois | 2678 | 3396 | 718 | 26.8% |
| Indiana | 2224 | 2719 | 495 | 22.3% |
| Iowa | 2990 | 3468 | 478 | 16.0% |
| Kansas | 2706 | 2887 | 181 | 6.7% |
| Kentucky | 620 | 1327 | 707 | 114.0% |
| Louisiana | 15 | 425 | 410 | 2733.3% |
| Maine | 158 | 202 | 44 | 27.8% |
| Maryland | 1076 | 1423 | 347 | 32.2% |
| Massachusetts | 353 | 479 | 126 | 35.7% |
| Michigan | 1505 | 1783 | 278 | 18.5% |
| Minnesota | 1376 | 1810 | 434 | 31.5% |
| Mississippi | 61 | 87 | 26 | 42.6% |
| Missouri | 2987 | 3135 | 148 | 5.0% |
| Montana | 670 | 792 | 122 | 18.2% |
| Nebraska | 2098 | 2420 | 322 | 15.3% |
| Nevada | 510 | 635 | 125 | 24.5% |
| New Hampshire | 96 | 104 | 8 | 8.3% |
| New Jersey | 2229 | 2822 | 593 | 26.6% |
| New Mexico | 763 | 853 | 90 | 11.8% |
| New York | 1442 | 1971 | 529 | 36.7% |
| North Carolina | 1917 | 2246 | 329 | 17.2% |
| North Dakota | 506 | 491 | -15 | -3.0% |
| Ohio | 2535 | 3290 | 755 | 29.8% |
| Oklahoma | 1519 | 1933 | 414 | 27.3% |
| Oregon | 1809 | 2060 | 251 | 13.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 2510 | 3080 | 570 | 22.7% |
| Rhode Island | 101 | 84 | -17 | -16.8% |
| South Carolina | 344 | 749 | 405 | 117.7% |
| South Dakota | 476 | 974 | 498 | 104.6% |
| Tennessee | 1061 | 1101 | 40 | 3.8% |
| Texas | 7147 | 7057 | -90 | -1.3% |
| Utah | 1558 | 1584 | 26 | 1.7% |
| Vermont | 13 | 30 | 17 | 130.8% |
| Virginia | 913 | 1359 | 446 | 48.8% |
| Washington | 3457 | 4111 | 654 | 18.9% |
| West Virginia | Not reported | 335 | Not reported | Not calculated |
| Wisconsin | 916 | 1557 | 641 | 70.0% |
| Wyoming | 515 | 609 | 94 | 18.3% |

## Supporting references

- NFHS 2025–26 participation survey, printed page 72: https://a-us.storyblok.com/f/1022696/x/94ea5d9b5f/2025-26_sports_participation_survey_2.pdf
- NFHS 2024–25 participation survey, printed page 72: https://a-us.storyblok.com/f/1022696/x/85a6414d04/2024-25-nfhs-high-school-athletics-participation-survey.pdf
- NFHS participation survey archive: https://nfhs.org/resources/sports/high-school-participation-survey-archive