Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 54.7 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $6.4bn in 2025.
Trends and Insights
Water park ticket prices soar
- Water park ticket prices have climbed in recent years, mirroring the broader rise in leisure and entertainment costs. Driven by enhanced attractions, technology investments, and resort amenities, these price hikes are often justified as supporting upgraded experiences and safety standards.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2025-2030)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Surf parks and man-made lagoons surge in popularity
- New surf parks and lagoons are introducing highly adaptable experiences that traditional water parks have rarely offered, allowing guests to surf artificial waves or enjoy expansive waterfront settings far from natural bodies of water. The next few years will see surf park and lagoon amenities embedded in a range of mixed-use and family destinations, specifically water parks, helping to sustain visitation throughout the year.
Biggest companies in the Water Parks in the US
| Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue ($m)
2025 | Profit ($m)
2025 | Profit Margin (%)
2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation | 2,151.3 | 232.3 | 10.8 | |
Cedar Fair, L.P. | 1,339.4 | 228.0 | 17.0 | |
Comcast Corporation | 329.3 | 46.8 | 14.2 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 5 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Admissions, Food and beverages and Merchandise. Admissions is the largest segment of the Water Parks in the US.
Trends and Insights
Revenue moves in line with admission levels
- Admissions refer to the entrance fees paid by visitors to access the water park. Water parks derive most revenue from entrance ticket sales. These can include single-day, multi-day or annual park passes.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Water parks are a type of amusement park that heavily feature waterplay areas, including waterslides, splash pads, spraygrounds (water playgrounds), lazy rivers and other recreational bathing, swimming and barefooting environments. These parks may be indoors, outdoors or a combination of both.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in the Water Parks industry in the United States include Admissions, Merchandise sales , Food and beverage sales and Sponsorship, licensing and other fees.Companies
Companies covered in the Water Parks industry in the United States include Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, Cedar Fair, L.P. and Comcast Corporation.Purchase this report to view all 5 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
Related terms covered in the Water Parks industry in the United States include destination park, combination park and in-park expenditure.Industry Code
NAICS 713110 - Water Parks in the US
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
Water parks are going green with technologies like solar panels and advanced filtration systems. These eco-friendly moves cut costs and appeal to guests who care about the en...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Wealthy visitors drive water parks' revenue. These high-income guests splurge on everything from admission to luxury amenities, boosting overall park spending.
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2025
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2025
- Major market segmentation in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
The Southwest and West stay cool with plenty of water parks. Texas and California lead, capitalizing on their large populations and their hot, dry climates.
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each state in 2025
- Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of employees in each state in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Water parks compete on location and quality. When setting prices, local water parks must consider how consumers weigh the promise of a day filled with quality rides and enter...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
Revenue is highest for larger water parks. Major companies (e.g., Six Flags Entertainment, Walt Disney Co., Cedar Fair) provide quality rides and complementary entertainment ...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
- Overview of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of Cedar Fair, L.P.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of Comcast Corporation's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 2 additional companies
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Cedar Fair, L.P., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Comcast Corporation, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for 2 additional companies
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Consumer expectations push investment in novel attractions, hiking costs. Water parks incur increased capital expenditures on new and thrilling experiences to meet stiff comp...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Operational cost efficiency requires attention to changeable weather. Companies in regions with seasonal climates face monthly revenue and cost volatility if water attraction...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Industry Multiples (2018-2023)
- Industry Tax Structure (2018-2023)
- Income Statement (2018-2023)
- Balance Sheet (2018-2023)
- Liquidity Ratios (2018-2023)
- Coverage Ratios (2018-2023)
- Leverage Ratios (2018-2023)
- Operating Ratios (2018-2023)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
- Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Average Wage (2015-2030)
- Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
- Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2015-2030)
- IVA (2015-2030)
- Establishments (2015-2030)
- Enterprises (2015-2030)
- Employment (2015-2030)
- Exports (2015-2030)
- Imports (2015-2030)
- Wages (2015-2030)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Water Parks industry in the United States in 2025?
The market size of the Water Parks industry in the United States is $6.4bn in 2025.
How many businesses are there in the Water Parks industry in the United States in 2025?
There are 210 businesses in the Water Parks industry in the United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 15.1 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Water Parks industry in the United States?
The Water Parks industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Water Parks industry in the United States?
The Water Parks industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Water Parks industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Water Parks industry in the United States has been growing at a CAGR of 54.7 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Water Parks industry in the United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Water Parks industry in the United States is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Water Parks industry in the United States?
The biggest companies operating in the Water Parks industry in the United States are Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, Cedar Fair, L.P. and Comcast Corporation
What does the Water Parks industry in the United States include?
Admissions and Merchandise sales are part of the Water Parks industry in the United States.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Water Parks industry in the United States?
The company holding the most market share in the Water Parks industry in the United States is Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.
How competitive is the Water Parks industry in the United States?
The level of competition is high and steady in the Water Parks industry in the United States.
Methodology
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IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in the US include:
- US Census Bureau
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics
- US International Trade Commission
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
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