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There were eight independent leagues that played full seasons in 2016, but three of them (Empire, Pecos, United Shore) did not release attendance numbers. The five indy leagues that did had a combined 42 teams that collectively had tickets sales of 5,924,498 for 2,103 regular season game dates. The average announced crowd for them was 2,817.
Just like it is for affiliated minor league baseball teams, attendance figures for independent league teams are based on tickets sold and averages are computed based on dates, not games (the difference between the two is explained here).
Attendance totals and dates are from league websites, while ballpark information is from Baseball Pilgrimages' 2016 Ballpark Directory.
American Association
1,833,503 tickets sold by 12 teams for 580 games (3,161 average)
| Team | Total | Dates | Average | Ballpark (Capacity) |
| St. Paul Saints | 413,482 | 49 | 8,438 | CHS Field (7,210) |
| Winnipeg Goldeyes | 231,206 | 48 | 4,817 | Shaw Park (7,481) |
| Kansas City T-Bones | 213,165 | 50 | 4,263 | CommunityAmerica Ballpark (6,537) |
| Lincoln Saltdogs | 169,750 | 47 | 3,612 | Haymarket Park (4,500) |
| Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks | 180,345 | 50 | 3,607 | Newman Outdoor Field (4,513) |
| Gary SouthShore RailCats | 163,519 | 48 | 3,407 | U.S. Steel Yard (6,139) |
| Wichita Wingnuts | 150,929 | 49 | 3,080 | Lawrence-Dumont Stadium (6,111) |
| Sioux Falls Canaries | 125,591 | 50 | 2,512 | Sioux Falls Stadium (4,462) |
| Sioux City Explorers | 68,278 | 50 | 1,366 | Lewis & Clark Park (3,630) |
| Texas AirHogs | 26,561 | 24 | 1,107 | QuikTrip Park (5,445) |
| Texas AirHogs | 17,463 | 18 | 970 | Potter County Stadium (8,500) |
| Laredo Lemurs | 41,955 | 47 | 893 | Uni-Trade Stadium (6,000) |
| Joplin Blasters | 31,001 | 48 | 646 | Joe Becker Stadium (4,200) |
| Texas AirHogs | 258 | 2 | 129 | Wilder Park (490) |
Atlantic League
2,099,629 tickets sold by 8 teams for 533 games (3,939 average)
| Team | Total | Dates | Average | Ballpark (Capacity) |
| Long Island Ducks | 352,728 | 67 | 5,265 | Bethpage Ballpark (6,002) |
| Somerset Patriots | 360,755 | 69 | 5,228 | TD Bank Ballpark (6,100) |
| Sugar Land Skeeters | 300,331 | 67 | 4,483 | Constellation Field (7,500) |
| Lancaster Barnstormers | 247,943 | 66 | 3,757 | Clipper Magazine Stadium (6,000) |
| York Revolution | 237,433 | 70 | 3,392 | PeoplesBank Park (7,312) |
| New Britain Bees | 214,635 | 65 | 3,302 | New Britain Stadium (6,146) |
| Southern Maryland Blue Crabs | 201,883 | 63 | 3,204 | Regency Furniture Stadium (6,000) |
| Bridgeport Bluefish | 183,921 | 66 | 2,787 | The Ballpark at Harbor Yard (5,300) |
Can-Am League
667,716 tickets sold by 6 teams for 297 games (2,248 average)
| Team | Total | Dates | Average | Ballpark (Capacity) |
| Rockland Boulders | 149,632 | 51 | 2,934 | Palisades Credit Union Park (4,750) |
| Quebec Capitales | 146,946 | 53 | 2,773 | Stade Municipal (4,800) |
| Ottawa Champions | 127,618 | 52 | 2,454 | RCGT Park (10,332) |
| Sussex County Miners | 90,237 | 49 | 1,842 | Skylands Stadium (4,200) |
| Trois-Rivieres Aigles | 78,948 | 47 | 1,680 | Stade Fernand-Bédard (4,500) |
| New Jersey Jackals | 74,335 | 45 | 1,652 | Yogi Berra Stadium (3,784) |
Frontier League
1,285,885 tickets sold by 12 teams for 538 games (2,390 average)
| Team | Total | Dates | Average | Ballpark (Capacity) |
| Schaumburg Boomers | 172,996 | 48 | 3,604 | Boomers Stadium (7,365) |
| Gateway Grizzlies | 163,679 | 48 | 3,410 | GCS Ballpark (5,500) |
| Southern Illinois Miners | 153,940 | 46 | 3,347 | Rent One Park (4,500) |
| Traverse City Beach Bums | 121,500 | 45 | 2,700 | Wuerfel Park (4,600) |
| Florence Freedom | 88,438 | 42 | 2,106 | UC Health Stadium (4,200) |
| Normal CornBelters | 91,193 | 45 | 2,027 | The Corn Crib (7,000) |
| Joliet Slammers | 90,458 | 45 | 2,010 | Silver Cross Field (6,229) |
| Washington Wild Things | 80,503 | 41 | 1,963 | CONSOL Energy Park (3,200) |
| Evansville Otters | 82,412 | 42 | 1,962 | Bosse Field (5,110) |
| River City Rascals | 82,061 | 43 | 1,908 | CarShield Field (4,989) |
| Lake Erie Crushers | 81,835 | 47 | 1,741 | All Pro Freight Stadium (5,000) |
| Windy City ThunderBolts | 76,870 | 46 | 1,671 | Standard Bank Stadium (3,042) |
Pacific Association
37,765 tickets sold by 4 teams for 155 games (244 average)
| Team | Total | Dates | Average | Ballpark (Capacity) |
| San Rafael Pacifics | 16,075 | 39 | 412 | Albert Park (1,200) |
| Sonoma Stompers | 13,370 | 39 | 343 | Arnold Field (1,450) |
| Vallejo Admirals | 5,712 | 39 | 146 | Wilson Park (500) |
| Pittsburg Diamonds | 2,608 | 38 | 69 | City Park Field #1 (400) |
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For the 2016 season, the two worst drawing teams from 2015 in the American Association merged to become one team, as the Amarillo Thunderheads and Grand Prairie AirHogs became the Texas AirHogs. Scheduled to split their 50 home games between the stadiums in each Texas city, three venues were actually needed after a four-game series at Potter County Memorial Stadium had to be moved to nearby Wilder Park on the West Texas A&M University campus at the end of July, when rain left the field unplayable at the 67-year old stadium in Amarillo, where 21 games were played (two dates were doubleheaders, attendance was not counted for one other game) and tickets were sold for 18 dates. The Division II West Texas A&M Buffaloes played in Amarillo's stadium until their on-campus facility opened in Canyon in 2011, and five years later Wilder Park got to be a fill-in for the place it replaced, as the AirHogs played four games there from July 29-31, including a doubleheader for which attendance was not tallied on July 30. Finally, the Grand Prairie home for the Texas AirHogs hosted 25 games over 24 dates (there was one doubleheader) at AirHogs Stadium, also often know by its original name of QuikTrip Park. In all, paid attendance was 44,282 at the three ballparks, with the range being from 160 to 5,751 in Grand Prairie and the low to high being 100 and 6,221 in Amarillo. The two crowds that were counted at the 490-seat park in Canyon at West Texas A&M were 123 and 135. Averaged out, the per date attendance for the AirHogs was 1,006. |
