Fitness and classes · County · California
Gyms and studios in Santa Cruz County, CA
The gyms and studios in Santa Cruz County, CA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 40 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,479 of 2,088 scored counties
#50 of 55 scored counties in California
- Listings
- 237
- 36 chain locations (15%)
- Official establishments
- 110
- +5.8% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $154.7M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $1,596 a household
- Spending per listing
- $653K
- In line with the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 24.5
- 64% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 258,852
- −4.7% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in Santa Cruz 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 Cruz 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
At $1,596 per household (62% above the U.S. average), households in Santa Cruz County spend about $154.7M a year on memberships, classes and admissions. That is about $653K of household spending for each location on map listings, in line with the U.S. figure of $662K.
There are 237 gyms and studios on map listings in Santa Cruz County as of September 2026. 36 of them (15%) are chain locations, against 20% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 24.5, 64% above the U.S. rate of 14.9.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Santa Cruz County was 110 in 2023, up 5.8% from 2019. That is one for every 881 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 6 SBA-backed loans worth $4.2M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Santa Cruz County.
Population estimates show Santa Cruz County declined 4.7% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The Groundwork market score for gyms and studios in Santa Cruz County is 40 (lower middle), #1,479 of 2,088 scored counties and #50 of 55 scored counties in California.
How Santa Cruz 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 Cruz County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 24.5 | 17.1 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $653K | $837K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | 881 | 1,281 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +5.8% | +14.7% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −4.7% | −0.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $1,596 | $1,435 | $983 |
| Median household income | $111,093 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 40 | 60 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 104 → 110+5.8% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,382
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $49.4M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 23736 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 234The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 6
- Amount
- $4.2M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Santa Cruz 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 Cruz County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 258,852−4.7% since 2020
- Households
- 96,898
- Median age
- 40.6
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 60%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 445 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 595
- Median household income
- $111,093+35.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $156,435
- Median home value
- $1,027,500
- Jobs located here
- 95,587
- Daytime population
- 247,989Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Santa Cruz 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 Cruz 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 Cruz 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 |
| 50Santa Cruz County, CA | 40 | 237 | 24.5 | $653K | −4.7% | #1,479 of 2,088 |
Other business types in Santa Cruz 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 classes40
- Gyms51
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios33
- Martial arts and dance studios39
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Santa Cruz County, CA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 237 gyms and studios in Santa Cruz County. 36 of them (15%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 110 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, up 5.8% from 2019.
How much do households in Santa Cruz County, CA spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $154.7M a year, or $1,596 per household. That is 62% above the U.S. average (an index of 162, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 237 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $653K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 96,898 households in Santa Cruz County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Santa Cruz County, CA compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Santa Cruz County has 24.5 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 64% above the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $653K, in line with the U.S. figure of $662K. At the U.S. ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Santa Cruz County would have about 234, against 237 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 881 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count rose 5.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Santa Cruz County, CA growing?
Population estimates put Santa Cruz County at 258,852 people in 2025, down 4.7% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 96,898 households. The median household income in Santa Cruz County is $111,093 a year, 38% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 35.1% 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 Cruz County scores 40 for gyms and studios (lower middle), #1,479 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 Cruz 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 Cruz County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Santa Cruz 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 Cruz 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.