Registered boats by state in the U.S. 2022 | Statista (2025)

FAQs

What US state has the most registered boats? ›

Florida is the state with the most registered boats used for recreation, having 8.133% of all recreational boat and yacht registrations in the United States.

Recreational boating involves the use of a boating vessel for leisure purposes. In 2023, there were about 11.55 million registered vessels in the United States, down from 11.77 million in the previous year.

Hawaii, the only island state, has the fewest boat owners in the nation, both in absolute numbers and per capita.

In 2023, Florida was the U.S. state with the highest number of registered recreational boating vessels at over 922 thousand.

In addition to being considered the fishing capital of the world, Florida can also boast that it is the boating capital of the United States.

Arizona has the most boats

The reality: It's not true.

PANAMA: Home of "Convenience"

Panama offered ship registration in a country free of burdensome laws and regulations found elsewhere. In this case, the passenger liner company wished to avoid the U.S. prohibition laws against serving alcohol on board.

Which States have the highest number of businesses in the Marinas industry in the United States? Florida (1,021 businesses), New York (895 businesses) and California (478 businesses) are the States with the most number of Marinas businesses in the US.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau says Texas has the third-highest number of stolen boats and gear in the country, behind Florida and California.

Is boating on the decline? ›

The decline is particularly marked for small motorboats under 7 m and monohull sailboats from 9 to 16 m, with decreases of 27% and 28% respectively. The sector, which had enjoyed a post-Covid upturn, now seems to be at a crossroads.

Historically, owning a boat has primarily been for middle-aged boaters in the United States, with the average boat owner age of 58 years. However, after the pandemic drove many to explore more solitary outdoor recreation such as boating, the average age has dropped to 46 years.

There's a reason Florida is called “The Sunshine State,” it gets about 230 days a year of sunshine, compared to the national average of 205. And, temperatures here rarely dip much below 55 or 60 degrees. So living on a boat in Southeast Florida means you'll be living in a near year-round tropical paradise.

The highest number of boating accidents were reported in Florida, North Carolina, and Texas, emphasizing the need for boating safety instruction in these states.

One of the most important parts of boating safety is to use your common sense. This means always operating at a safe speed, especially in crowded areas. Be alert at all times, and steer clear of large vessels and watercraft that can be restricted in their ability to stop or turn.

Presently, the most widely used yacht registries are the United States, the Marshall Islands, the Cayman Islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the British Virgin Islands.

1. Alaska. This cold state in the Pacific Northwest contains more than 40% of the country's surface water resources – it covers over 94,743 square miles of water area!