Fitness and classes · County · Arkansas
Gyms and studios in Independence County, AR
How Independence County, AR compares with other counties and the U.S. for gyms and studios: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 25 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,904 of 2,088 scored counties
#31 of 48 scored counties in Arkansas
- Listings
- 18
- 4 chain locations (22%)
- Official establishments
- n/a
- Fewer than 3, or not published
- Household spending a year
- $8.1M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $555 a household
- Spending per listing
- $451K
- 32% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 12.3
- 17% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 38,785
- +2.2% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in Independence County
The site report maps the gyms and studios on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Independence County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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
Independence County scores 25 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for gyms and studios, ranking #1,904 of 2,088 scored counties and #31 of 48 scored counties in Arkansas. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
As of September 2026, map listings count 18 gyms and studios in Independence County. Of those, 4 are chain locations, or 22%, against 20% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 12.3, 17% below the U.S. rate of 14.9.
Household spending on memberships, classes and admissions in Independence County comes to about $8.1M a year: $555 per household, 44% below the U.S. average. That works out to $451K per location, 32% below the U.S. figure of $662K.
There is no official count of businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Independence County: counts under 3 aren’t published. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Independence County grew 2.2%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Independence County compares
The same measures for Arkansas and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all memberships, classes and admissions by the gyms and studios counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Independence County | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 12.3 | 11.7 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $451K | $528K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | n/a | 2,412 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +12.4% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.2% | +3.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $555 | $617 | $983 |
| Median household income | $56,609 | $60,773 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 25 | 42 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- n/a
- Employees, 2023
- n/a
- Annual payroll, 2023
- n/a
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 184 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 12The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Independence County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Independence County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 38,785+2.2% since 2020
- Households
- 14,638
- Median age
- 39.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 69%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 764 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 50
- Median household income
- $56,609+27.7% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $78,952
- Median home value
- $142,600
- Jobs located here
- 18,686
- Daytime population
- 41,118Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Independence County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the gyms and studios on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Independence County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardGyms, studios and classes across Arkansas
Every Arkansas market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Arkansas for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in Arkansas, with Independence County marked.
Top counties in Arkansas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Grant County, AR | 63 | 6 | 8.6 | $781K | +4.1% | #488 of 2,088 |
| 2Saline County, AR | 63 | 50 | 10.0 | $717K | +7.6% | #497 of 2,088 |
| 3Carroll County, AR | 61 | 7 | 6.2 | $885K | +3.6% | #549 of 2,088 |
| 4Miller County, AR | 56 | 10 | 6.1 | $809K | −0.5% | #759 of 2,088 |
| 5Logan County, AR | 56 | 6 | 7.0 | $803K | +2.5% | #760 of 2,088 |
| 6Lonoke County, AR | 55 | 32 | 11.2 | $598K | +3.5% | #824 of 2,088 |
| 7Mississippi County, AR | 52 | 9 | 5.8 | $963K | −6.7% | #930 of 2,088 |
| 8Baxter County, AR | 52 | 14 | 7.2 | $689K | +3.1% | #949 of 2,088 |
| 9Benton County, AR | 51 | 181 | 16.2 | $571K | +16.0% | #1,022 of 2,088 |
| 10Crawford County, AR | 50 | 28 | 12.0 | $483K | +4.1% | #1,073 of 2,088 |
| 31Independence County, AR | 25 | 18 | 12.3 | $451K | +2.2% | #1,904 of 2,088 |
Other business types in Independence County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
- Gyms, studios and classes25
- Gyms22
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios
- Martial arts and dance studios
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Independence County, AR?
Independence County has 18 gyms and studios on map listings as of September 2026. 4 of them (22%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. No official count is published for fitness centers and recreation instruction in Independence County: counts under 3 are left out.
How much do households in Independence County, AR spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $8.1M a year, or $555 per household. That is 44% below the U.S. average (an index of 56, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 18 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $451K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 14,638 households in Independence County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Independence County, AR compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Independence County has 12.3 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 17% below the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $451K, 32% below the U.S. figure of $662K. At the national ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Independence County would have about 12, against 18 on map listings.
How fast is Independence County, AR growing?
Population estimates put Independence County at 38,785 people in 2025, up 2.2% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 14,638 households. Median household income in Independence County is $56,609, 30% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 27.7%, before inflation.
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. Independence County scores 25 for gyms and studios (lower middle), #1,904 of 2,088 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Independence County. 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.
How the score works · Top markets for gyms and studios · All 56 business types in Independence County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Independence County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Independence County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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.