Fitness and classes · County · California
Gyms and studios in Santa Barbara County, CA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for gyms and studios in Santa Barbara County, CA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 41 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,447 of 2,088 scored counties
#49 of 55 scored counties in California
- Listings
- 345
- 43 chain locations (12%)
- Official establishments
- 146
- +5.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $212.3M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $1,419 a household
- Spending per listing
- $615K
- 7% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 23.1
- 55% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 442,065
- −1.4% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara 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
Households in Santa Barbara County spend about $212.3M a year on memberships, classes and admissions, or $1,419 per household, 44% above the U.S. average. That works out to $615K per location, 7% below the U.S. figure of $662K.
There are 345 gyms and studios on map listings in Santa Barbara County as of September 2026. Of those, 43 are chain locations, or 12%, against 20% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 23.1, 55% above the U.S. rate of 14.9.
In 2023, official counts showed 146 businesses with payroll in Santa Barbara County classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction, up 5.0% from 2019. That is one for every 1,025 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 5 SBA-backed loans worth $5.2M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Santa Barbara County.
Population estimates put the population change in Santa Barbara County from 2020 to 2025 at −1.4%, against +3.1% for the U.S. For gyms and studios, Santa Barbara County has a Groundwork market score of 41 (lower middle): #1,447 of 2,088 scored counties and #49 of 55 scored counties in California.
How Santa Barbara 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 | Santa Barbara County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 23.1 | 17.1 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $615K | $837K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,025 | 1,281 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +5.0% | +14.7% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −1.4% | −0.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $1,419 | $1,435 | $983 |
| Median household income | $98,161 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 41 | 60 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 139 → 146+5.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,217
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $30.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 34543 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 321The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 5
- Amount
- $5.2M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 442,065−1.4% since 2020
- Households
- 149,608
- Median age
- 37.4
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 52%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 2,734 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 162
- Median household income
- $98,161+31.5% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $140,895
- Median home value
- $790,700
- Jobs located here
- 193,212
- Daytime population
- 452,081Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara 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 |
| 49Santa Barbara County, CA | 41 | 345 | 23.1 | $615K | −1.4% | #1,447 of 2,088 |
Other business types in Santa Barbara 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 classes41
- Gyms51
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios30
- Martial arts and dance studios47
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Santa Barbara County, CA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 345 gyms and studios in Santa Barbara County. 43 of them (12%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 146 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, up 5.0% from 2019.
How much do households in Santa Barbara County, CA spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $212.3M a year, or $1,419 per household. That is 44% above the U.S. average (an index of 144, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 345 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $615K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 149,608 households in Santa Barbara County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Santa Barbara County, CA compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Santa Barbara County has 23.1 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 55% above the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $615K, 7% below the U.S. figure of $662K. At the U.S. ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Santa Barbara County would have about 321, against 345 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,025 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count rose 5.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Santa Barbara County, CA growing?
Population estimates put Santa Barbara County at 442,065 people in 2025, down 1.4% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 149,608 households. The median household income in Santa Barbara County is $98,161 a year, 22% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 31.5% 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. Santa Barbara County scores 41 for gyms and studios (lower middle), #1,447 of 2,088 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara 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.