Fitness and classes · County · California
Gyms and studios in Kern County, CA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for gyms and studios in Kern County, CA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 74 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #162 of 2,088 scored counties
#11 of 55 scored counties in California
- Listings
- 310
- 53 chain locations (17%)
- Official establishments
- 98
- +12.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $279.7M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $982 a household
- Spending per listing
- $902K
- 36% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 10.9
- 27% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 927,068
- +2.3% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in Kern 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 Kern 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
Kern County scores 74 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for gyms and studios, ranking #162 of 2,088 scored counties and #11 of 55 scored counties in California. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for gyms and studios.
At $982 per household (in line with the U.S. average), households in Kern County spend about $279.7M a year on memberships, classes and admissions. That works out to $902K per location, 36% above the U.S. figure of $662K.
There are 310 gyms and studios on map listings in Kern County as of September 2026. 53 of them (17%) are chain locations, against 20% across the U.S. That comes to 10.9 for every 10,000 households, 27% below the U.S. rate of 14.9.
Official counts show 98 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Kern County in 2023, up 12.6% from 2019. That is one for every 2,907 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 7 SBA-backed loans worth $2.6M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Kern County. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Kern County grew 2.3%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Kern County compares
The same measures for California 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 | Kern County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 10.9 | 17.1 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $902K | $837K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | 2,907 | 1,281 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +12.6% | +14.7% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.3% | −0.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $982 | $1,435 | $983 |
| Median household income | $70,210 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 74 | 60 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 87 → 98+12.6% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,198
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $23.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 31053 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 422The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 7
- Amount
- $2.6M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Kern 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 Kern County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 927,068+2.3% since 2020
- Households
- 284,931
- Median age
- 33.6
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 60%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 8,135 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 112
- Median household income
- $70,210+31.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $93,147
- Median home value
- $338,300
- Jobs located here
- 302,967
- Daytime population
- 882,683Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Kern 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 Kern 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 California
Every California market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in California for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in California, with Kern County marked.
Top counties in California
| 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 |
Other business types in Kern 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 classes74
- Gyms72
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios76
- Martial arts and dance studios79
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Kern County, CA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 310 gyms and studios in Kern County. 53 of them (17%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 98 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, up 12.6% from 2019.
How much do households in Kern County, CA spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $279.7M a year, or $982 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 100, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 310 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $902K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 284,931 households in Kern County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Kern County, CA compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Kern County has 10.9 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 27% below the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $902K, 36% above the U.S. figure of $662K. At the U.S. ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Kern County would have about 422, against 310 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,907 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count rose 12.6% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Kern County, CA growing?
Population estimates put Kern County at 927,068 people in 2025, up 2.3% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 284,931 households. The median household income in Kern County is $70,210 a year, 13% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 31.6% from the 2015–2019 survey, 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. Kern County scores 74 for gyms and studios (upper middle), #162 of 2,088 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Kern 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 Kern County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Kern 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 Kern 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.