Market rankings · Alabama
Gyms and studios in Alabama
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Alabama, ranked by the Groundwork market score for gyms and studios, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 2,332
- 493 chain locations (21%)
- Official establishments
- 849
- +12.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.3B
- On memberships, classes and admissions
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.7
- 21% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $562K
- 15% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #31 of 51
- Market score 46 · Lower middle
A site report maps the gyms and studios on map listings around any address in Alabama by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Alabama has 2,332 gyms and studios on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 493 are chain locations, or 21%, against 20% across the U.S. That comes to 11.7 for every 10,000 households, 21% below the U.S. rate of 14.9.
Household spending on memberships, classes and admissions in Alabama comes to about $1.3B a year: $656 per household, 33% below the U.S. average. That works out to $562K per location, 15% below the U.S. figure of $662K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Alabama was 849 in 2023, up 12.3% from 2019. That is one for every 2,352 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 8.2% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 59 SBA-backed loans worth $31.3M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Alabama.
Among the 50 states and DC, Alabama ranks #31 for gyms and studios, with a Groundwork market score of 46 (lower middle). Of the 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Alabama, the Decatur metro area scores highest (64). Of the 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in Alabama, the LaGrange area scores highest (70).
Every market in Alabama for gyms and studios
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Alabama, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Decatur, AL | 64 | 51 | 8.1 | $818K | +2.5% | #66 of 387 |
| 2Tuscaloosa, AL | 58 | 93 | 8.8 | $712K | +2.9% | #109 of 387 |
| 3Auburn-Opelika, AL | 52 | 77 | 10.0 | $654K | +7.1% | #164 of 387 |
| 4Huntsville, AL | 49 | 310 | 15.0 | $569K | +12.5% | #200 of 387 |
| 5Gadsden, AL | 45 | 35 | 8.9 | $589K | +0.4% | #246 of 387 |
| 6Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 45 | 73 | 11.5 | $525K | +3.5% | #251 of 387 |
| 7Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | 42 | 180 | 18.3 | $418K | +14.8% | #276 of 387 |
| 8Dothan, AL | 37 | 68 | 11.1 | $521K | +3.4% | #311 of 387 |
| 9Birmingham, AL | 36 | 621 | 13.4 | $551K | +1.4% | #314 of 387 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | 32 | 144 | 11.3 | $538K | −1.3% | #344 of 387 |
| 10Montgomery, AL | 32 | 190 | 12.5 | $512K | +0.9% | #346 of 387 |
| 11Anniston-Oxford, AL | 31 | 52 | 11.6 | $462K | −0.3% | #354 of 387 |
| 12Mobile, AL | 27 | 197 | 12.2 | $495K | −0.7% | #371 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaGrange, GA-AL | 70 | 30 | 7.4 | $758K | +3.0% | #52 of 535 |
| 1Enterprise, AL | 70 | 21 | 10.0 | $657K | +6.3% | #57 of 535 |
| 2Ozark, AL | 65 | 10 | 5.1 | $1.1M | +1.3% | #90 of 535 |
| 3Alexander City, AL | 65 | 10 | 5.9 | $967K | −0.8% | #91 of 535 |
| 4Scottsboro, AL | 58 | 20 | 9.2 | $576K | +3.3% | #179 of 535 |
| 5Albertville, AL | 55 | 44 | 12.1 | $527K | +6.0% | #218 of 535 |
| 6Talladega-Sylacauga, AL | 53 | 30 | 7.9 | $680K | 0.0% | #238 of 535 |
| 7Fort Payne, AL | 52 | 19 | 7.3 | $671K | +3.4% | #247 of 535 |
| 8Cullman, AL | 52 | 36 | 10.2 | $604K | +6.7% | #256 of 535 |
| 9Eufaula, AL-GA | 46 | 6 | 5.9 | $802K | −1.2% | #322 of 535 |
| 10Russellville, AL | 38 | 10 | 8.4 | $594K | +1.1% | #410 of 535 |
| 11Troy, AL | 37 | 12 | 9.6 | $534K | +2.4% | #418 of 535 |
| 12Selma, AL | 13 | 12 | 7.5 | $511K | −7.9% | #520 of 535 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Limestone County, AL | 85 | 34 | 8.3 | $989K | +18.0% | #29 of 2,088 |
| 2Blount County, AL | 69 | 12 | 5.4 | $1.1M | +1.8% | #266 of 2,088 |
| 3Chilton County, AL | 68 | 13 | 7.3 | $798K | +5.9% | #316 of 2,088 |
| 4Coffee County, AL | 66 | 21 | 10.0 | $657K | +6.3% | #385 of 2,088 |
| 5St. Clair County, AL | 66 | 36 | 10.3 | $656K | +7.1% | #386 of 2,088 |
| 6Tallapoosa County, AL | 63 | 10 | 5.9 | $967K | −0.8% | #475 of 2,088 |
| 7Lawrence County, AL | 61 | 9 | 6.6 | $914K | +2.3% | #546 of 2,088 |
| 8Dale County, AL | 59 | 10 | 5.1 | $1.1M | +1.3% | #615 of 2,088 |
| 9Morgan County, AL | 58 | 42 | 8.6 | $798K | +2.6% | #671 of 2,088 |
| 10Autauga County, AL | 54 | 26 | 11.3 | $658K | +5.1% | #863 of 2,088 |
| 11Chambers County, AL | 53 | 5 | 3.7 | $1.3M | −0.9% | #884 of 2,088 |
| 12Tuscaloosa County, AL | 53 | 87 | 9.7 | $678K | +3.8% | #901 of 2,088 |
| 13Shelby County, AL | 53 | 136 | 15.7 | $612K | +6.5% | #912 of 2,088 |
| 14Elmore County, AL | 53 | 40 | 12.2 | $577K | +4.2% | #919 of 2,088 |
| 15Marshall County, AL | 53 | 44 | 12.1 | $527K | +6.0% | #925 of 2,088 |
| 16Cullman County, AL | 52 | 36 | 10.2 | $604K | +6.7% | #971 of 2,088 |
| 17Jackson County, AL | 52 | 20 | 9.2 | $576K | +3.3% | #978 of 2,088 |
| 18Russell County, AL | 49 | 13 | 5.4 | $928K | −0.6% | #1,078 of 2,088 |
| 19Lee County, AL | 49 | 74 | 10.7 | $635K | +8.6% | #1,107 of 2,088 |
| 20Colbert County, AL | 49 | 23 | 9.5 | $605K | +3.8% | #1,113 of 2,088 |
| 21Lauderdale County, AL | 47 | 50 | 12.7 | $489K | +3.3% | #1,235 of 2,088 |
| 22DeKalb County, AL | 45 | 19 | 7.3 | $671K | +3.4% | #1,292 of 2,088 |
| 23Cleburne County, AL | 45 | 5 | 8.4 | $617K | +6.0% | #1,299 of 2,088 |
| 24Talladega County, AL | 45 | 30 | 8.9 | $606K | +0.3% | #1,304 of 2,088 |
| 25Madison County, AL | 45 | 276 | 16.7 | $517K | +11.0% | #1,322 of 2,088 |
Show all 67 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Etowah County, AL | 44 | 35 | 8.9 | $589K | +0.4% | #1,348 of 2,088 |
| 27Baldwin County, AL | 44 | 180 | 18.3 | $418K | +14.8% | #1,366 of 2,088 |
| 28Henry County, AL | 41 | 8 | 11.3 | $525K | +7.1% | #1,458 of 2,088 |
| 29Geneva County, AL | 38 | 9 | 8.5 | $592K | +3.2% | #1,548 of 2,088 |
| 30Randolph County, AL | 38 | 9 | 9.7 | $551K | +4.8% | #1,553 of 2,088 |
| 31Walker County, AL | 38 | 27 | 10.6 | $498K | 0.0% | #1,562 of 2,088 |
| 32Barbour County, AL | 37 | 6 | 6.6 | $728K | −1.4% | #1,577 of 2,088 |
| 33Covington County, AL | 35 | 21 | 14.3 | $384K | +1.2% | #1,662 of 2,088 |
| 34Cherokee County, AL | 34 | 12 | 11.8 | $474K | +5.8% | #1,675 of 2,088 |
| 35Calhoun County, AL | 34 | 52 | 11.6 | $462K | −0.3% | #1,681 of 2,088 |
| 36Houston County, AL | 33 | 51 | 11.8 | $508K | +2.8% | #1,703 of 2,088 |
| 37Franklin County, AL | 32 | 10 | 8.4 | $594K | +1.1% | #1,720 of 2,088 |
| 38Pike County, AL | 30 | 12 | 9.6 | $534K | +2.4% | #1,782 of 2,088 |
| 39Pickens County, AL | 29 | 5 | 7.4 | $675K | −3.9% | #1,809 of 2,088 |
| 40Mobile County, AL | 29 | 197 | 12.2 | $495K | −0.7% | #1,818 of 2,088 |
| 41Fayette County, AL | 28 | 5 | 8.0 | $639K | −2.8% | #1,833 of 2,088 |
| 42Jefferson County, AL | 27 | 394 | 14.6 | $493K | −1.3% | #1,862 of 2,088 |
| 43Winston County, AL | 25 | 10 | 10.6 | $500K | +1.4% | #1,899 of 2,088 |
| 44Montgomery County, AL | 24 | 124 | 13.6 | $446K | −1.1% | #1,922 of 2,088 |
| 45Butler County, AL | 21 | 6 | 7.9 | $599K | −4.8% | #1,955 of 2,088 |
| 46Escambia County, AL | 19 | 12 | 9.4 | $498K | 0.0% | #1,981 of 2,088 |
| 47Crenshaw County, AL | 16 | 6 | 11.5 | $439K | 0.0% | #2,005 of 2,088 |
| 48Marion County, AL | 13 | 13 | 12.2 | $408K | −0.3% | #2,036 of 2,088 |
| 49Dallas County, AL | 11 | 12 | 7.5 | $511K | −7.9% | #2,047 of 2,088 |
| 50Clarke County, AL | 7 | 11 | 13.1 | $404K | −4.2% | #2,074 of 2,088 |
| Bibb County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 3.9 | $1.3M | +0.4% | |
| Monroe County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 4.1 | $1.1M | −3.8% | |
| Marengo County, AL | Not scored | 4 | 5.1 | $1.1M | −5.0% | |
| Macon County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 4.1 | $1.1M | −6.8% | |
| Washington County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 5.0 | $1.3M | −3.3% | |
| Hale County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 1.8 | $2.6M | +2.9% | |
| Clay County, AL | Not scored | 4 | 6.9 | $753K | −0.1% | |
| Lamar County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 5.9 | $784K | −2.6% | |
| Choctaw County, AL | Not scored | 4 | 7.6 | $623K | −5.7% | |
| Sumter County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 6.2 | $641K | −5.0% | |
| Conecuh County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 2.3 | $2M | −5.7% | |
| Coosa County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.7% | |
| Wilcox County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 2.6 | $1.7M | −8.3% | |
| Bullock County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.5% | |
| Lowndes County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −9.0% | |
| Perry County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 2.9 | $1.1M | −12.2% | |
| Greene County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −8.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 gyms and studios on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Alabama?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 2,332 gyms and studios in Alabama. 493 of them (21%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 849 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, up 12.3% from 2019.
How much do households in Alabama spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $1.3B a year, or $656 per household. That is 33% below the U.S. average (an index of 67, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,332 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $562K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 1,997,247 households in Alabama and national spending patterns by income.
How does Alabama compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Alabama has 11.7 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 21% below the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $562K, 15% below the U.S. figure of $662K. At the U.S. ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Alabama would have about 1,979, against 2,332 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,352 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count rose 12.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.
Which market in Alabama has the highest market score for gyms and studios?
Among 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Alabama, the Decatur metro area scores highest, at 64 (upper middle). Among 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in Alabama, the LaGrange area scores highest, at 70 (upper middle). Among 50 scored counties in Alabama, Limestone County scores highest, at 85 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Alabama scores 46 for gyms and studios (lower middle), #31 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Alabama. It maps the gyms and studios on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
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Top markets for gyms and studios across the U.S. · All business types in Alabama
Related business types in Alabama
- Gyms1,399 listings
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios234 listings
- Martial arts and dance studios699 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Alabama?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.