Groundwork

Market rankings · District of Columbia

Gyms and studios in the District of Columbia

Markets across the District of Columbia ranked by the Groundwork market score for gyms and studios, with competitor counts and household spending for each.

Listings
473
115 chain locations (24%)
Official establishments
188
−13.4% since 2019
Household spending a year
$376.5M
On memberships, classes and admissions
Listings per 10k households
14.6
2% below the U.S.
Spending per listing
$796K
20% above the U.S.
Rank among states
#3 of 51
Market score 75 · High

A site report maps the gyms and studios on map listings around any address in the District of Columbia by name and distance, and the spending within reach.

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Survey 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 473 gyms and studios in the District of Columbia. Of those, 115 are chain locations, or 24%, against 20% across the U.S. That comes to 14.6 for every 10,000 households, 2% below the U.S. rate of 14.9.

Household spending on memberships, classes and admissions in the District of Columbia comes to about $376.5M a year: $1,160 per household, 18% above the U.S. average. Spread across 473 gyms and studios, that is $796K per location, 20% above the U.S. figure of $662K.

The official count of businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in the District of Columbia was 188 in 2023, down 13.4% from 2019. That is one for every 1,726 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, 11 SBA-backed loans worth $5.6M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in the District of Columbia.

Among the 50 states and DC, the District of Columbia ranks #3 for gyms and studios, with a Groundwork market score of 75 (high). The one scored metro area in or partly in the District of Columbia, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, scores 63.

Every market in the District of Columbia for gyms and studios

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Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in the District of Columbia, 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

Metro areas reaching the District of Columbia, ranked for gyms and studios by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV633,73315.7$796K+3.3%#76 of 387

Counties

Counties in the District of Columbia, ranked for gyms and studios by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
District of ColumbiaNot scored47314.6$796K+3.4%

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 the District of Columbia?

There are 473 gyms and studios on map listings in the District of Columbia as of September 2026. 115 of them (24%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 188 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, down 13.4% from 2019.

How much do households in the District of Columbia spend on memberships, classes and admissions?

About $376.5M a year, or $1,160 per household. That is 18% above the U.S. average (an index of 118, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 473 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $796K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 324,491 households in the District of Columbia and national spending patterns by income.

How does the District of Columbia compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?

The District of Columbia has 14.6 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 2% below the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $796K, 20% above the U.S. figure of $662K. At the national ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, the District of Columbia would have about 569, against 473 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,726 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count fell 13.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.

Which market in the District of Columbia has the highest market score for gyms and studios?

The one scored metro area in or partly in the District of Columbia is the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, at 63 (upper middle). 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. The District of Columbia scores 75 for gyms and studios (high), #3 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 the District of Columbia. 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.

Gyms, studios and classes in other states

All 51 states

Top markets for gyms and studios across the U.S. · All business types in the District of Columbia

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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.