--- title: "US States and Cities With the Most BJJ Gyms (2026) | MatGoat" description: "A directory-based ranking of US states and cities with the most BJJ gyms, plus an interactive map, sources, and data limitations." image: "https://matgoat.com/_astro/us-bjj-gyms-map.BR6t_4LT.webp" url: "https://matgoat.com/en/blog/us-states-cities-most-bjj-gyms/" --- # US States and Cities With the Most BJJ Gyms (2026) A directory-based ranking of US states and cities with the most BJJ gyms, plus an interactive map, sources, and data limitations. [by José M. Gilgado](https://matgoat.com/en/blog/us-states-cities-most-bjj-gyms/#author "written by José M. Gilgado") Published on July 22, 2026 9 min read ![Map of the United States showing BJJ gym directory listings by state](https://matgoat.com/_astro/us-bjj-gyms-map.BR6t_4LT_2s8ndK.png) **California has the most BJJ gym listings of any US state, with 547. Las Vegas, Nevada, leads the city ranking with 86.** These figures come from a public directory snapshot captured on July 22, 2026. The normalized snapshot contains **7,193 listings across the 50 states and Washington, DC**. The source marked 114 as verified and 7,079 as unverified. We included both groups, so the results measure directory coverage rather than confirmed active academies. 7,193 listings ## BJJ academies by state Hover over a state to preview its count, or choose one to keep its details in view. Choose a state Academies by state <25 25–74 75–149 150–249 250–399 400+ Selected ### California (CA) #1 Listings 547 Verified 10 Unverified 537 #### Leading cities 1. Los Angeles 31 2. San Francisco 23 3. San Diego 18 4. San Jose 12 5. Fresno 10 No city-level listings in this snapshot. **Directory snapshot:** July 22, 2026. **Data source:** [MatMade](https://matmade.com/locations), [IBJJF](https://ibjjf.com/registered-academies), and [other directories](https://matgoat.com/en/blog/us-states-cities-most-bjj-gyms/#other-bjj-academy-directories). **Map geometry:** user-supplied MapSVG export; Alaska and Hawaii insets from a [CC0 Wikimedia Commons map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Blank_US_Map_%28states_only%29.svg) . Selected: California, 547 listings ### All states and Washington, DC The complete table is available for exact values and keyboard access. All states and Washington, DC. The complete table is available for exact values and keyboard access. | State rank | State | Listings | Verified | Unverified | Leading city | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | California CA | 547 | 10 | 537 | Los Angeles (31) | | 2 | Texas TX | 432 | 13 | 419 | Houston (42) | | 3 | Florida FL | 418 | 7 | 411 | Miami (43) | | 4 | New Jersey NJ | 266 | 1 | 265 | Jersey City (10) | | 5 | Illinois IL | 213 | 3 | 210 | Chicago (51) | | 6 | Arizona AZ | 207 | 2 | 205 | Phoenix (41) | | 6 | Pennsylvania PA | 207 | 1 | 206 | Philadelphia (34) | | 8 | Georgia GA | 206 | 10 | 196 | Atlanta (20) | | 9 | North Carolina NC | 189 | 3 | 186 | Charlotte (21) | | 9 | Virginia VA | 189 | 2 | 187 | Virginia Beach (20) | | 11 | New York NY | 186 | 2 | 184 | New York (40) | | 12 | Colorado CO | 183 | 2 | 181 | Denver (26) | | 13 | Ohio OH | 178 | 4 | 174 | Columbus (12) | | 14 | Massachusetts MA | 174 | 0 | 174 | Boston (14) | | 15 | Connecticut CT | 163 | 0 | 163 | Stamford (10) | | 15 | Missouri MO | 163 | 4 | 159 | Kansas City (17) | | 17 | Nevada NV | 161 | 2 | 159 | Las Vegas (86) | | 18 | Tennessee TN | 160 | 1 | 159 | Knoxville (16) | | 19 | Indiana IN | 159 | 5 | 154 | Indianapolis (28) | | 19 | Wisconsin WI | 159 | 0 | 159 | Madison (25) | | 21 | Maryland MD | 156 | 1 | 155 | Baltimore (13) | | 21 | Michigan MI | 156 | 3 | 153 | Grand Rapids (11) | | 23 | Oklahoma OK | 152 | 2 | 150 | Oklahoma City (22) | | 24 | Washington WA | 145 | 0 | 145 | Seattle (21) | | 25 | Minnesota MN | 140 | 4 | 136 | Minneapolis (13) | | 26 | Louisiana LA | 139 | 2 | 137 | Baton Rouge (13) | | 27 | Oregon OR | 136 | 1 | 135 | Portland (18) | | 28 | South Carolina SC | 132 | 1 | 131 | Columbia (12) | | 29 | Utah UT | 125 | 3 | 122 | Salt Lake City (22) | | 30 | Arkansas AR | 123 | 0 | 123 | Fort Smith (13) | | 31 | Hawaii HI | 116 | 0 | 116 | Honolulu (38) | | 32 | Idaho ID | 110 | 3 | 107 | Boise (21) | | 33 | Kentucky KY | 108 | 0 | 108 | Louisville (15) | | 34 | Alabama AL | 106 | 3 | 103 | Birmingham (9) | | 35 | Kansas KS | 102 | 1 | 101 | Wichita (15) | | 36 | New Mexico NM | 100 | 0 | 100 | Albuquerque (38) | | 37 | Mississippi MS | 99 | 2 | 97 | Gulfport (7) | | 38 | Iowa IA | 95 | 2 | 93 | Des Moines (10) | | 39 | New Hampshire NH | 90 | 2 | 88 | Nashua (11) | | 40 | Rhode Island RI | 79 | 1 | 78 | Providence (9) | | 41 | Montana MT | 33 | 2 | 31 | Missoula (6) | | 42 | West Virginia WV | 29 | 1 | 28 | Beckley (3) | | 43 | Nebraska NE | 27 | 2 | 25 | Omaha (13) | | 44 | Delaware DE | 26 | 0 | 26 | Wilmington (7) | | 45 | Maine ME | 25 | 1 | 24 | South Portland (3) | | 46 | Wyoming WY | 21 | 1 | 20 | Cheyenne (8) | | 47 | Alaska AK | 15 | 1 | 14 | Anchorage (5) | | 48 | South Dakota SD | 14 | 3 | 11 | Rapid City (5) | | 49 | North Dakota ND | 12 | 0 | 12 | Minot (4) | | 49 | Vermont VT | 12 | 0 | 12 | Burlington (2) | | 51 | District of Columbia DC | 10 | 0 | 10 | Washington (9) | ## How we counted BJJ gym listings The ranking data come from the [MatMade locations directory](https://matmade.com/locations). We also consulted the [IBJJF registered-academy directory](https://ibjjf.com/registered-academies) and [other directories](https://matgoat.com/en/blog/us-states-cities-most-bjj-gyms/#other-bjj-academy-directories) as separate references. We counted each MatMade public record once, aggregated the data locally, and publish only aggregate calculations, without academy profiles, addresses, contact details, or source records. The method was consistent across states and cities: - Include records assigned to one of the 50 states or Washington, DC. - Include records marked verified or unverified. - Normalize state abbreviations, capitalization, Unicode, and surrounding whitespace. - Count 26 records without a city in their state totals, but exclude them from city rankings. - Treat a city as a city-state pair, so similarly named cities in different states remain separate. - Keep the source’s locality labels. New York, Brooklyn, and Queens remain separate, as do Las Vegas and Henderson. - Give equal counts the same rank and retain all ties at the state rank 15 and city rank 20 cutoffs. We did not merge nearby cities into metro areas or divide the totals by population. The tables are raw directory counts. ## States with the most BJJ gym listings The table extends through rank 15. Connecticut and Missouri are both included because they tie at that cutoff. | Rank | State | Directory records | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | California | 547 | | 2 | Texas | 432 | | 3 | Florida | 418 | | 4 | New Jersey | 266 | | 5 | Illinois | 213 | | 6 | Arizona | 207 | | 6 | Pennsylvania | 207 | | 8 | Georgia | 206 | | 9 | North Carolina | 189 | | 9 | Virginia | 189 | | 11 | New York | 186 | | 12 | Colorado | 183 | | 13 | Ohio | 178 | | 14 | Massachusetts | 174 | | 15 | Connecticut | 163 | | 15 | Missouri | 163 | ### 1\. California California’s 547 listings equal about 7.6% of the national directory snapshot. Los Angeles appears in the city table with 31, while San Francisco has 23. The state can therefore lead without one California city approaching Las Vegas’s count. ### 2\. Texas Texas has 432 listings. Three Texas localities reach the city ranking: Houston with 42, Austin with 24, and San Antonio with 23. Keeping those cities separate avoids turning a statewide total into an unsupported metro estimate. ### 3\. Florida Florida places third with 418 listings. Miami has 43, the third-highest city-state count, and Orlando has 22 at the rank-20 cutoff. ### 4\. New Jersey New Jersey has 266 listings and ranks fourth. No single New Jersey locality reaches the national city table below, which indicates that its state total is spread across city labels rather than dominated by one top-20 entry. ### 5\. Illinois Illinois has 213 listings. Chicago accounts for 51 of them and ranks second among city-state pairs in the snapshot. ## Cities with the most BJJ gym listings City names can repeat across the country, so each row includes its state. We retained all four cities tied at rank 20. | Rank | City | State | Directory records | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Las Vegas | Nevada | 86 | | 2 | Chicago | Illinois | 51 | | 3 | Miami | Florida | 43 | | 4 | Houston | Texas | 42 | | 5 | Phoenix | Arizona | 41 | | 6 | New York | New York | 40 | | 7 | Honolulu | Hawaii | 38 | | 7 | Albuquerque | New Mexico | 38 | | 9 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 34 | | 10 | Los Angeles | California | 31 | | 11 | Indianapolis | Indiana | 28 | | 12 | Denver | Colorado | 26 | | 13 | Madison | Wisconsin | 25 | | 14 | Brooklyn | New York | 24 | | 14 | Austin | Texas | 24 | | 16 | San Francisco | California | 23 | | 16 | Colorado Springs | Colorado | 23 | | 16 | Queens | New York | 23 | | 16 | San Antonio | Texas | 23 | | 20 | Orlando | Florida | 22 | | 20 | Henderson | Nevada | 22 | | 20 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | 22 | | 20 | Salt Lake City | Utah | 22 | The New York result needs a careful reading. The directory records New York, Brooklyn, and Queens as separate locality labels. Combining their 40, 24, and 23 listings would create a new geographic category that does not exist in the source, so this ranking leaves them separate. The same rule applies to Las Vegas and Henderson. ## Other BJJ academy directories No directory covers every active BJJ academy in the United States. We reviewed these sources separately and did not merge their records into the ranking: - The [IBJJF registered-academy directory](https://ibjjf.com/registered-academies) covers schools registered with the federation, not every gym that offers BJJ. - [BJJ Metrics](https://bjjmetrics.com/gyms) maintains a separate gym dataset with its own collection and classification choices. - [Gyms.JiuJitsu.com](https://gyms.jiujitsu.com/) is another independent directory whose coverage and update schedule differ. Each source defines and collects its population differently. Totals can also differ because directories handle affiliates, shared facilities, duplicate profiles, closed schools, boroughs, and multi-location businesses in different ways. ## What these rankings cannot tell us The snapshot does not measure academy quality, student enrollment, mat capacity, schedule depth, instructor credentials, competition performance, or business health. It also cannot confirm that every unverified listing was active on July 22, 2026. A high state count may reflect population, directory coverage, or how businesses are recorded. A high city count may reflect municipal boundaries rather than a broader training market. These figures are useful for comparing one directory’s geographic distribution, not for declaring where the best instruction is found. For the international view, see our ranking of the [countries with the most IBJJF-registered BJJ academies](https://matgoat.com/en/blog/countries-most-bjj-academies-ibjjf/). It uses a separate source and should not be combined with the US directory totals above. Use the map as a starting point, then confirm any academy through its current website and schedule before visiting. If you are assessing a local market for your own school, continue with our practical guide to [starting a BJJ academy](https://matgoat.com/en/guides/start-bjj-academy/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Which US state has the most BJJ gyms? California has the most in this directory snapshot, with 547 records on July 22, 2026. This is a directory count, not a census of active or verified academies. ### Which US city has the most BJJ gyms? Las Vegas, Nevada, leads the city-state ranking with 86 records. Cities were kept separate by state, and nearby places such as Henderson were not combined into metro areas. ### How many BJJ gyms are listed in the United States? The normalized snapshot contains 7,193 records across the 50 states and Washington, DC. The source marked 114 as verified and 7,079 as unverified. ### Are all academies in this ranking verified? No. Only 114 of the 7,193 listings were marked verified. We included unverified listings for broader coverage and report that status so readers can interpret the counts correctly. ### Does a higher number of listings mean a state has better BJJ? No. Listing volume says nothing about coaching quality, class size, active membership, competition results, or whether every listed location still operates. ### Go home after class and actually switch off Payments, check-ins and reminders run on their own while you teach. Setting up your academy takes about 30 minutes. [Start free trial](https://matgoat.com/en/get-started/ "Start free trial") [See pricing](https://matgoat.com/en/pricing/) 30 days free, no credit card required. ![MatGoat welcome screen with today's upcoming classes and the items that need attention](https://matgoat.com/_astro/cta-dashboard-en.0J295hb2_Z2sUSpD.png) ![José M. Gilgado](https://matgoat.com/images/avatar_jose.png) José M. Gilgado Founder of MatGoat Founder of MatGoat and a software engineer with more than 20 years of experience. He has practiced BJJ since 2021 and develops MatGoat using feedback from martial arts academies. [](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilgado/ "LinkedIn")[](https://x.com/gilgado_ "X") [View full profile](https://matgoat.com/en/about/jose/) ## Related articles [![Two Jiu Jitsu practitioners sparring and drilling guard work on tatami mats](https://matgoat.com/_astro/global-jiu-jitsu-practitioners-2026.CvWMz_hw_Zsp9h.jpg)How Many People Practice Jiu Jitsu in 2026? Global Participation Data An empirical analysis of global Jiu Jitsu practitioners in 2026, combining academy census metrics, federation registries, and youth curriculum datasets.](https://matgoat.com/en/blog/how-many-people-practice-jiu-jitsu/) [![World map showing IBJJF-registered BJJ academies by country](https://matgoat.com/_astro/world-bjj-academies-ibjjf.CHOvLa1I_Z2zDMC.png)Top Countries by IBJJF-Registered BJJ Academies (2026) A current ranking of countries by IBJJF-registered BJJ academies, with an interactive world map, methodology, and data limitations.](https://matgoat.com/en/blog/countries-most-bjj-academies-ibjjf/) [![BJJ belts organized by color](https://matgoat.com/_astro/belts.CfxWdiIi_Z1bxrO4.jpg)BJJ Belt Distribution in 40,000 Registered Profiles A snapshot of current belts in roughly 40,000 BeltChecker profiles, with source and sampling limitations.](https://matgoat.com/en/blog/bjj-belt-distribution-statistics/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://matgoat.com/#organization", "name": "MatGoat", "url": "https://matgoat.com", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://matgoat.com/images/matgoat_logo.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 }, "description": "Management software for BJJ, martial arts, and combat sports academies.", "email": "hola@matgoat.com", "sameAs": [ "https://instagram.com/mat.goat/", "https://linkedin.com/company/matgoat", "https://x.com/matgoat_app", "https://www.producthunt.com/products/matgoat", "https://www.sideprojectors.com/project/70944/matgoat" ], "founder": { "@id": "https://matgoat.com/sobre-nosotros/jose/#person" }, "foundingDate": "2024", "contactPoint": { "@type": "ContactPoint", "contactType": "customer support", "email": "hola@matgoat.com", "availableLanguage": [ "Spanish", "English", "Portuguese", "Italian" ] } } { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://matgoat.com/#website", "url": "https://matgoat.com", "name": "MatGoat", "publisher": { "@id": "https://matgoat.com/#organization" }, "inLanguage": "en-US" } { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BlogPosting", "headline": "US States and Cities With the Most BJJ Gyms (2026)", "description": "A directory-based ranking of US states and cities with the most BJJ gyms, plus an interactive map, sources, and data limitations.", "image": "https://matgoat.com/_astro/us-bjj-gyms-map.BR6t_4LT.webp", "datePublished": "2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z", "dateModified": "2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z", "author": { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://matgoat.com/sobre-nosotros/jose/#person", "name": "José M. Gilgado", "alternateName": [ "Jose M. Gilgado", "Jose Manuel Gilgado" ], "description": "Founder of MatGoat and a software engineer with more than 20 years of experience. He has practiced BJJ since 2021 and develops MatGoat using feedback from martial arts academies.", "jobTitle": "Founder of MatGoat and software engineer", "url": "https://matgoat.com/en/about/jose/", "image": "https://matgoat.com/images/avatar_jose.png", "email": "jose@matgoat.com", "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilgado/", "https://github.com/josem", "https://stackoverflow.com/users/104325/jose-m-gilgado", "https://josem.co/", "https://x.com/gilgado_" ], "worksFor": [ { "@id": "https://matgoat.com/#organization" }, { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Buffer", "url": "https://buffer.com/" } ], "knowsAbout": [ "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu", "Martial arts academy management", "Software engineering", "SaaS product development" ], "knowsLanguage": [ "es", "en" ] }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://matgoat.com/#organization" }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://matgoat.com/en/blog/us-states-cities-most-bjj-gyms/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "speakable": { "@type": "SpeakableSpecification", "cssSelector": [ "h1", ".post-content h2", ".post-content p:first-of-type" ] } } { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "ItemList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "California", "url": "https://matgoat.com/en/blog/us-states-cities-most-bjj-gyms/#1-california" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Texas", "url": "https://matgoat.com/en/blog/us-states-cities-most-bjj-gyms/#2-texas" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Florida", "url": "https://matgoat.com/en/blog/us-states-cities-most-bjj-gyms/#3-florida" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "New Jersey", "url": "https://matgoat.com/en/blog/us-states-cities-most-bjj-gyms/#4-new-jersey" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "Illinois", "url": "https://matgoat.com/en/blog/us-states-cities-most-bjj-gyms/#5-illinois" } ] } { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which US state has the most BJJ gyms?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "California has the most in this directory snapshot, with 547 records on July 22, 2026. This is a directory count, not a census of active or verified academies." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which US city has the most BJJ gyms?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Las Vegas, Nevada, leads the city-state ranking with 86 records. Cities were kept separate by state, and nearby places such as Henderson were not combined into metro areas." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How many BJJ gyms are listed in the United States?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The normalized snapshot contains 7,193 records across the 50 states and Washington, DC. The source marked 114 as verified and 7,079 as unverified." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are all academies in this ranking verified?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Only 114 of the 7,193 listings were marked verified. We included unverified listings for broader coverage and report that status so readers can interpret the counts correctly." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does a higher number of listings mean a state has better BJJ?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Listing volume says nothing about coaching quality, class size, active membership, competition results, or whether every listed location still operates." } } ] } { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://matgoat.com/en/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Blog", "item": "https://matgoat.com/en/blog/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "US States and Cities With the Most BJJ Gyms (2026)" } ] } ```