Fitness and classes · County · Florida
Gyms and studios in Highlands County, FL
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for gyms and studios in Highlands County, FL, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 57 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #743 of 2,088 scored counties
#15 of 58 scored counties in Florida
- Listings
- 41
- 10 chain locations (24%)
- Official establishments
- 11
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $25M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $533 a household
- Spending per listing
- $610K
- 8% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 8.7
- 42% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 111,122
- +9.7% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in Highlands 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 Highlands 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 $533 per household (46% below the U.S. average), households in Highlands County spend about $25M a year on memberships, classes and admissions. That is about $610K of household spending for each location on map listings, 8% below the U.S. figure of $662K.
There are 41 gyms and studios on map listings in Highlands County as of September 2026. Of those, 10 are chain locations, or 24%, against 20% across the U.S. That comes to 8.7 for every 10,000 households, 42% below the U.S. rate of 14.9.
In 2023, official counts showed 11 businesses with payroll in Highlands County classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction. That is one for every 4,262 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $112K has gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Highlands County.
Population estimates show Highlands County grew 9.7% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for gyms and studios in Highlands County is 57 (upper middle), #743 of 2,088 scored counties and #15 of 58 scored counties in Florida.
How Highlands County compares
The same measures for Florida 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 | Highlands County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 8.7 | 16.0 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $610K | $477K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | 4,262 | 1,607 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +15.6% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +9.7% | +8.7% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $533 | $764 | $983 |
| Median household income | $54,897 | $74,568 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 57 | 34 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 12 → 11
- Employees, 2023
- 120
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $1.4M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 4110 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 38The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $112K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Highlands 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 Highlands County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 111,122+9.7% since 2020
- Households
- 46,879
- Median age
- 52.0
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 79%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.6
- Land area
- 1,018 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 104
- Median household income
- $54,897+34.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $71,953
- Median home value
- $187,900
- Jobs located here
- 28,038
- Daytime population
- 94,243Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Highlands 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 Highlands 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 Florida
Every Florida market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Florida for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in Florida, with Highlands County marked.
Top counties in Florida
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sumter County, FL | 88 | 29 | 4.1 | $1.7M | +21.1% | #16 of 2,088 |
| 2Wakulla County, FL | 77 | 10 | 7.8 | $913K | +12.3% | #109 of 2,088 |
| 3Baker County, FL | 74 | 7 | 7.6 | $967K | +5.8% | #158 of 2,088 |
| 4Citrus County, FL | 70 | 55 | 7.7 | $745K | +11.1% | #260 of 2,088 |
| 5Charlotte County, FL | 70 | 87 | 9.6 | $695K | +15.5% | #263 of 2,088 |
| 6Levy County, FL | 69 | 13 | 7.0 | $775K | +12.7% | #288 of 2,088 |
| 7Flagler County, FL | 66 | 60 | 11.4 | $676K | +21.0% | #384 of 2,088 |
| 8Polk County, FL | 62 | 272 | 9.4 | $675K | +19.8% | #536 of 2,088 |
| 9Hendry County, FL | 62 | 13 | 9.2 | $660K | +21.5% | #538 of 2,088 |
| 10Nassau County, FL | 59 | 56 | 14.2 | $613K | +17.4% | #650 of 2,088 |
| 15Highlands County, FL | 57 | 41 | 8.7 | $610K | +9.7% | #743 of 2,088 |
Other business types in Highlands 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 classes57
- Gyms55
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios
- Martial arts and dance studios60
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Highlands County, FL?
As of September 2026, map listings count 41 gyms and studios in Highlands County. 10 of them (24%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 11 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023.
How much do households in Highlands County, FL spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $25M a year, or $533 per household. That is 46% below the U.S. average (an index of 54, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 41 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $610K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 46,879 households in Highlands County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Highlands County, FL compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Highlands County has 8.7 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 42% below the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $610K, 8% below the U.S. figure of $662K. At the U.S. ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Highlands County would have about 38, against 41 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 4,262 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S.
How fast is Highlands County, FL growing?
Population estimates put Highlands County at 111,122 people in 2025, up 9.7% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 46,879 households. The median household income in Highlands County is $54,897 a year, 32% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 34.1% 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. Highlands County scores 57 for gyms and studios (upper middle), #743 of 2,088 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Highlands 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 Highlands County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Highlands 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 Highlands 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.