Market rankings · California
Gyms and studios in California
Markets across California ranked by the Groundwork market score for gyms and studios, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 23,229
- 4,384 chain locations (19%)
- Official establishments
- 10,579
- +14.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $19.4B
- On memberships, classes and admissions
- Listings per 10k households
- 17.1
- 15% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $837K
- 26% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #13 of 51
- Market score 60 · Upper middle
A site report maps the gyms and studios on map listings around any address in California 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 23,229 gyms and studios in California. Of those, 4,384 are chain locations, or 19%, against 20% across the U.S. That comes to 17.1 for every 10,000 households, 15% above the U.S. rate of 14.9.
At $1,435 per household (46% above the U.S. average), households in California spend about $19.4B a year on memberships, classes and admissions. That works out to $837K per location, 26% above the U.S. figure of $662K.
Official counts show 10,579 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in California in 2023, up 14.7% from 2019. That is one for every 1,281 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, 819 SBA-backed loans worth $400.6M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in California.
Among the 50 states and DC, California ranks #13 for gyms and studios, with a Groundwork market score of 60 (upper middle). Of the 25 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Stockton-Lodi metro area scores highest (87). Of the 10 scored small-town markets in or partly in California, the Red Bluff area scores highest (80).
Every market in California for gyms and studios
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in California, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Stockton-Lodi, CA | 87 | 328 | 13.4 | $942K | +5.5% | #2 of 387 |
| 2Yuba City, CA | 85 | 57 | 9.2 | $1.2M | +3.3% | #4 of 387 |
| 3Merced, CA | 81 | 98 | 11.4 | $796K | +5.1% | #8 of 387 |
| 4Visalia, CA | 80 | 147 | 10.3 | $950K | +2.4% | #9 of 387 |
| 5Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 78 | 310 | 10.9 | $902K | +2.3% | #10 of 387 |
| 6Fresno, CA | 76 | 450 | 12.2 | $868K | +3.2% | #16 of 387 |
| 7Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 72 | 1,967 | 13.6 | $898K | +3.5% | #25 of 387 |
| 8Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 69 | 52 | 11.8 | $794K | +1.0% | #40 of 387 |
| 9Vallejo, CA | 68 | 239 | 15.2 | $907K | +0.6% | #43 of 387 |
| 10Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 68 | 1,387 | 15.7 | $862K | +3.2% | #44 of 387 |
| 11Modesto, CA | 66 | 243 | 13.7 | $817K | +0.7% | #55 of 387 |
| 12San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 59 | 1,214 | 17.9 | $1.2M | −0.6% | #101 of 387 |
| 13Salinas, CA | 58 | 189 | 14.3 | $937K | −1.5% | #106 of 387 |
| 14San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 56 | 3,288 | 18.9 | $1M | −2.4% | #125 of 387 |
| 15Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 54 | 359 | 18.8 | $785K | −0.4% | #143 of 387 |
| 16Redding, CA | 53 | 108 | 15.2 | $680K | −0.3% | #151 of 387 |
| 17Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 52 | 7,980 | 17.7 | $785K | −2.6% | #160 of 387 |
| 18Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 51 | 581 | 20.7 | $738K | −1.5% | #176 of 387 |
| 19Napa, CA | 50 | 104 | 20.9 | $759K | −3.3% | #185 of 387 |
| 20San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 48 | 2,551 | 21.8 | $684K | −0.6% | #204 of 387 |
| 21San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 48 | 231 | 21.1 | $642K | 0.0% | #208 of 387 |
| 22El Centro, CA | 44 | 80 | 16.1 | $511K | +1.1% | #255 of 387 |
| 23Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 42 | 237 | 24.5 | $653K | −4.7% | #268 of 387 |
| 24Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 40 | 345 | 23.1 | $615K | −1.4% | #285 of 387 |
| 25Chico, CA | 34 | 154 | 18.5 | $549K | −0.5% | #327 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Red Bluff, CA | 80 | 20 | 8.1 | $1.1M | −1.7% | #13 of 535 |
| 2Bishop, CA | 67 | 10 | 12.4 | $845K | −4.4% | #74 of 535 |
| 3Clearlake, CA | 65 | 27 | 10.0 | $909K | −0.6% | #92 of 535 |
| 4Crescent City, CA | 64 | 10 | 10.5 | $856K | −4.4% | #102 of 535 |
| 5Sonora, CA | 62 | 38 | 16.7 | $645K | −4.0% | #132 of 535 |
| Gardnerville Ranchos, NV-CA | 59 | 38 | 17.5 | $733K | +0.9% | #160 of 535 |
| 6Ukiah, CA | 49 | 49 | 14.1 | $688K | −3.5% | #293 of 535 |
| 7Susanville, CA | 37 | 15 | 16.2 | $534K | −13.1% | #417 of 535 |
| 8Truckee-Grass Valley, CA | 35 | 122 | 28.5 | $458K | −0.4% | #437 of 535 |
| 9Eureka-Arcata, CA | 30 | 106 | 19.3 | $469K | −3.4% | #472 of 535 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Yuba County, CA | 92 | 20 | 7.0 | $1.4M | +8.2% | #7 of 2,088 |
| 2Madera County, CA | 84 | 50 | 11.0 | $952K | +7.4% | #35 of 2,088 |
| 3Calaveras County, CA | 82 | 26 | 14.1 | $823K | +2.8% | #54 of 2,088 |
| 4San Joaquin County, CA | 80 | 328 | 13.4 | $942K | +5.5% | #71 of 2,088 |
| 5Amador County, CA | 79 | 24 | 14.9 | $755K | +3.2% | #84 of 2,088 |
| 6San Benito County, CA | 78 | 25 | 12.2 | $1.3M | +8.6% | #86 of 2,088 |
| 7Merced County, CA | 78 | 98 | 11.4 | $796K | +5.1% | #97 of 2,088 |
| 8Colusa County, CA | 77 | 5 | 6.7 | $1.5M | −0.1% | #100 of 2,088 |
| 9Tulare County, CA | 77 | 147 | 10.3 | $950K | +2.4% | #107 of 2,088 |
| 10Tehama County, CA | 76 | 20 | 8.1 | $1.1M | −1.7% | #124 of 2,088 |
| 11Kern County, CA | 74 | 310 | 10.9 | $902K | +2.3% | #162 of 2,088 |
| 12Mono County, CA | 72 | 6 | 10.4 | $1.3M | −5.4% | #193 of 2,088 |
| 13Mariposa County, CA | 71 | 7 | 9.3 | $1.1M | −1.2% | #220 of 2,088 |
| 14Riverside County, CA | 71 | 1,100 | 14.2 | $897K | +5.0% | #229 of 2,088 |
| 15Fresno County, CA | 70 | 400 | 12.3 | $857K | +2.6% | #250 of 2,088 |
| 16Yolo County, CA | 68 | 106 | 13.8 | $960K | +3.1% | #301 of 2,088 |
| 17San Bernardino County, CA | 68 | 867 | 12.8 | $899K | +1.9% | #307 of 2,088 |
| 18Sacramento County, CA | 67 | 796 | 13.9 | $908K | +2.0% | #336 of 2,088 |
| 19Lake County, CA | 65 | 27 | 10.0 | $909K | −0.6% | #403 of 2,088 |
| 20Solano County, CA | 65 | 239 | 15.2 | $907K | +0.6% | #404 of 2,088 |
| 21Sutter County, CA | 64 | 37 | 11.1 | $1M | −0.7% | #438 of 2,088 |
| 22Kings County, CA | 64 | 52 | 11.8 | $794K | +1.0% | #452 of 2,088 |
| 23Placer County, CA | 64 | 345 | 21.8 | $736K | +8.9% | #461 of 2,088 |
| 24Contra Costa County, CA | 63 | 661 | 16.0 | $1.1M | +0.3% | #474 of 2,088 |
| 25Stanislaus County, CA | 63 | 243 | 13.7 | $817K | +0.7% | #485 of 2,088 |
Show all 58 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Inyo County, CA | 62 | 10 | 12.4 | $845K | −4.4% | #517 of 2,088 |
| 27Santa Clara County, CA | 60 | 1,189 | 18.0 | $1.2M | −0.9% | #572 of 2,088 |
| 28Tuolumne County, CA | 60 | 38 | 16.7 | $645K | −4.0% | #606 of 2,088 |
| 29Del Norte County, CA | 59 | 10 | 10.5 | $856K | −4.4% | #619 of 2,088 |
| 30El Dorado County, CA | 59 | 140 | 18.4 | $843K | +0.6% | #620 of 2,088 |
| 31Monterey County, CA | 58 | 189 | 14.3 | $937K | −1.5% | #663 of 2,088 |
| 32San Mateo County, CA | 56 | 526 | 19.9 | $1.1M | −2.5% | #753 of 2,088 |
| 33Alameda County, CA | 56 | 1,070 | 17.9 | $1M | −2.6% | #754 of 2,088 |
| 34San Francisco County, CA | 54 | 766 | 21.0 | $918K | −5.6% | #839 of 2,088 |
| 35Sonoma County, CA | 54 | 359 | 18.8 | $785K | −0.4% | #842 of 2,088 |
| 36Trinity County, CA | 54 | 6 | 10.7 | $766K | −2.3% | #846 of 2,088 |
| 37Los Angeles County, CA | 51 | 5,658 | 16.6 | $794K | −3.0% | #985 of 2,088 |
| 38Shasta County, CA | 51 | 108 | 15.2 | $680K | −0.3% | #994 of 2,088 |
| 39Orange County, CA | 50 | 2,322 | 21.4 | $762K | −1.1% | #1,038 of 2,088 |
| 40Ventura County, CA | 50 | 581 | 20.7 | $738K | −1.5% | #1,040 of 2,088 |
| 41Mendocino County, CA | 49 | 49 | 14.1 | $688K | −3.5% | #1,090 of 2,088 |
| 42Marin County, CA | 48 | 265 | 25.7 | $790K | −2.9% | #1,141 of 2,088 |
| 43Napa County, CA | 48 | 104 | 20.9 | $759K | −3.3% | #1,143 of 2,088 |
| 44San Luis Obispo County, CA | 48 | 231 | 21.1 | $642K | 0.0% | #1,165 of 2,088 |
| 45San Diego County, CA | 47 | 2,551 | 21.8 | $684K | −0.6% | #1,200 of 2,088 |
| 46Glenn County, CA | 46 | 15 | 15.3 | $570K | −2.6% | #1,265 of 2,088 |
| 47Imperial County, CA | 45 | 80 | 16.1 | $511K | +1.1% | #1,323 of 2,088 |
| 48Siskiyou County, CA | 43 | 24 | 12.6 | $656K | −4.5% | #1,376 of 2,088 |
| 49Santa Barbara County, CA | 41 | 345 | 23.1 | $615K | −1.4% | #1,447 of 2,088 |
| 50Santa Cruz County, CA | 40 | 237 | 24.5 | $653K | −4.7% | #1,479 of 2,088 |
| 51Butte County, CA | 38 | 154 | 18.5 | $549K | −0.5% | #1,554 of 2,088 |
| 52Nevada County, CA | 33 | 122 | 28.5 | $458K | −0.4% | #1,710 of 2,088 |
| 53Lassen County, CA | 32 | 15 | 16.2 | $534K | −13.1% | #1,726 of 2,088 |
| 54Plumas County, CA | 31 | 17 | 21.1 | $473K | −5.9% | #1,761 of 2,088 |
| 55Humboldt County, CA | 31 | 106 | 19.3 | $469K | −3.4% | #1,763 of 2,088 |
| Modoc County, CA | Not scored | 3 | 9.2 | $860K | −2.9% | |
| Sierra County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.0% | |
| Alpine County, CA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −11.6% |
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 California?
There are 23,229 gyms and studios on map listings in California as of September 2026. 4,384 of them (19%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 10,579 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, up 14.7% from 2019.
How much do households in California spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $19.4B a year, or $1,435 per household. That is 46% above the U.S. average (an index of 146, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 23,229 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $837K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 13,548,091 households in California and national spending patterns by income.
How does California compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
California has 17.1 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 15% above the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $837K, 26% above the U.S. figure of $662K. At the national ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, California would have about 29,373, against 23,229 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,281 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count rose 14.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.
Which market in California has the highest market score for gyms and studios?
Among 25 scored metro areas in or partly in California, the Stockton-Lodi metro area scores highest, at 87 (high). Among 10 scored small-town markets in or partly in California, the Red Bluff area scores highest, at 80 (high). Among 55 scored counties in California, Yuba County scores highest, at 92 (very 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. California scores 60 for gyms and studios (upper middle), #13 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 California. 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 California
Related business types in California
- Gyms10,768 listings
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios4,579 listings
- Martial arts and dance studios7,882 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in California?
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.