case-study
Tattoo Statistics 2026: Who Gets Tattooed, and What It Costs Studios to Reach Them
About a third of US adults, 32%, have at least one tattoo, and 22% have more than one, according to a Pew Research Center survey of 8,480 adults in July 2023. Tattoos are most common among people aged 30 to 49 (46%) and among women (38%, against 27% of men). For studios running ads, reaching a new potential client cost between $8.18 per conversation and $14.42 per lead form in two real campaigns we ran in 2026.
Most tattoo statistics pages answer one question: who has tattoos. This page also answers the one studio owners care about: who is likely to be your next client, and what it costs to reach them. For the full cost picture, see what tattoo studio ads cost.
Who gets tattooed in the US
Source for this section: Pew Research Center, survey of 8,480 US adults, July 10 to 16, 2023.
By age
| Age group | Share with at least one tattoo |
|---|---|
| Under 30 | 41% |
| 30 to 49 | 46% |
| 50 to 64 | 25% |
| 65 and older | 13% |
By gender
| Group | Share with at least one tattoo |
|---|---|
| All women | 38% |
| All men | 27% |
| Women 18 to 29 | 56% |
| Women 30 to 49 | 53% |
Other key numbers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| US adults with at least one tattoo | 32% |
| US adults with more than one tattoo | 22% |
| Tattooed adults who have ever regretted one | 24% |
What these numbers mean for your ads
| Statistic | What it means for a studio |
|---|---|
| 46% of 30 to 49 year olds are tattooed, the highest of any age group | Do not narrow ads to people in their twenties. The 30 to 49 group is large, tattooed and usually has more to spend on bigger pieces. |
| Over half of women aged 18 to 49 have a tattoo | Fine line, floral and small-piece artists should expect most of their clients to be women; show that work first. |
| 22% of adults have more than one tattoo | Past clients are your best audience. Most tattooed people come back, so retarget people who already messaged you or engaged with your profile. |
| 24% have regretted a tattoo | Cover-ups are a real market. If you are good at them, a separate cover-up ad with a before and after is worth testing. |
| 13% of people 65 and older are tattooed | Older first-timers exist but are a small group; memorial pieces are a common reason, so treat them as a specific message, not the main audience. |
These are national averages. Your area and your artists' styles matter more than any national number, so test and let your own results decide.
Tattoo regret and cover-ups
Almost a quarter of tattooed adults say they have regretted at least one tattoo (Pew, 2023). For studios that is not bad news: every regretted tattoo is a possible cover-up or rework client. Studios strong at cover-ups can:
- run a dedicated cover-up ad with a before and after,
- add "cover-up" as an option in the booking form,
- mention cover-ups in the saved DM reply.
What it costs a studio to reach new clients
Public statistics tell you who might get tattooed. They do not tell you what it costs to reach them. These are real numbers from two tattoo studio ad accounts we manage, with the dates they apply to.
| Account | Campaign type | Period | Spend | Results | Cost per result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-artist studio, mid-size US metro | Messages (DMs and Messenger) | June 5 to 12, 2026 | $465.98 | 57 new conversations | $8.18 per conversation |
| 4-artist studio, Middle Tennessee | Instant lead form | July 22 to Sept 26, 2026 | $3,245.29 | 225 form submissions | $14.42 per lead |
In the lead form account, each artist had their own ad set. Over the same nine weeks the four artists produced 127, 78, 19 and 1 leads, so the artist in the ad changes results as much as the budget does. The details are in our tattoo studio Meta ads case study.
These are conversations and leads, not booked sessions. How many become clients depends on how fast and how well the studio replies; see DM to booking.
Methodology and sources
- US tattoo prevalence, age, gender and regret: Pew Research Center, American Trends Panel survey of 8,480 US adults, July 10 to 16, 2023, weighted to represent the US adult population.
- Ad costs: Marketing Tattoo campaign data, Meta Ads Manager, for the periods stated. Results are platform-reported conversations or form submissions.
- We update this page when new primary data is published. If you cite it, please link to this page and the original sources.
FAQ
What percent of people are tattooed?
In the US, 32% of adults have at least one tattoo and 22% have more than one, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey of 8,480 adults.
Are tattoos gaining or losing popularity?
Tattoos are most common among adults under 50: 41% of under-30s and 46% of 30 to 49 year olds have one, against 13% of people 65 and older (Pew, 2023). That pattern suggests tattoos have become far more common in younger generations.
How many tattoos does an average person have?
Pew's 2023 survey found that 22% of US adults have more than one tattoo, which is most of the 32% who have any. It does not give an average number per person.
What does it cost a tattoo studio to get a new client from ads?
In two 2026 campaigns we ran, a new conversation cost $8.18 (messages campaign) and a lead form submission cost $14.42. Costs vary with location, creative and season, and the cost per booked client depends on how many conversations the studio converts.