Hobby-focused groups are among the most common types of online community among American adults, ranking alongside local-area forums and ahead of fan communities and video game groups, according to a new Pew Research Center report.
The finding comes from a survey of 9,750 U.S. adults conducted by the Pew-Knight Initiative between May 26 and June 1, 2026.
Hobbies lead every category
When it comes to what these communities focus on, hobbies and local area top the list.
A separate Pew breakdown put the hobby figure at 23% of Americans being part of an online community about a hobby, ahead of local-area groups at 21 percent, movie, book or TV show communities at 13 percent, and video game communities at 12 percent.
Those hobby groups span a wide range of platforms. About 5% are part of one on sites or apps for people who share a hobby, like Goodreads for reading, Strava for running, Ravelry for knitting or Letterboxd for movies.
Many more encounter hobby communities inside broader platforms such as Facebook groups or Reddit forums rather than on a dedicated hobby app.
Where the groups actually live
Social media remains the biggest overall gateway into online communities regardless of topic. About a quarter of Americans are part of an online community on social media sites or apps.
Discussion forums come next, with 15% part of an online community in places like Reddit, Nextdoor or Discord. Smaller shares turn up on video platforms, inside online games, or on messaging apps before reaching the dedicated hobby sites at the bottom of the list.
Younger adults are especially drawn to these spaces, a pattern the Center has tracked elsewhere, including how young adults lead both joining and leaving these digital spaces.
Do these groups actually deliver?
Members generally say their communities are worth the time. People seek out online communities for a variety of reasons, but there are three near the top of the list: to stay informed, for fun or to get advice or recommendations.
Politics rarely intrudes. Among people who are part of an online community, 71% reported little or no political discussion in the one they visit most often, and 54% said political discussion does not belong there.
Still, doubts persist about whether these connections run as deep as offline ones. About half of Americans question whether online relationships can be as meaningful as those formed in person. Fewer, 34 percent, think they can be just as meaningful, according to a Benton Foundation summary of the Pew findings.
That ambivalence may explain why many hobbyists treat these forums less like substitutes for friendship and more like specialized bulletin boards, useful for tips on a running route or a knitting pattern, but not necessarily where they expect to find their closest relationships.
The pattern echoes how many people now let real-world friendships quietly fade even as they stay digitally connected elsewhere.
Why it matters
The data suggest that as more leisure time migrates online, it is narrow, interest-based communities rather than broad social networks that are picking up the slack.
For an industry built around fitness trackers, reading apps and fan forums, that points to a growing, durable user base organized around specific pastimes, from marathon training logs to film-review threads.
People return to these groups again and again for practical value, even if they remain skeptical of the social depth those spaces can offer.
