Market rankings · Iowa
Gyms and studios in Iowa
Markets across Iowa ranked by the Groundwork market score for gyms and studios, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,941
- 404 chain locations (21%)
- Official establishments
- 697
- +3.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.2B
- On memberships, classes and admissions
- Listings per 10k households
- 14.8
- In line with the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $603K
- 9% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #37 of 51
- Market score 44 · Lower middle
A site report maps the gyms and studios on map listings around any address in Iowa by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 1,941 gyms and studios in Iowa. Of those, 404 are chain locations, or 21%, against 20% across the U.S. That comes to 14.8 for every 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 14.9.
At $890 per household (9% below the U.S. average), households in Iowa spend about $1.2B a year on memberships, classes and admissions. That works out to $603K per location, 9% below the U.S. figure of $662K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Iowa was 697 in 2023, up 3.9% from 2019. That is one for every 1,888 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, 86 SBA-backed loans worth $30.6M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Iowa.
Among the 50 states and DC, Iowa ranks #37 for gyms and studios, with a Groundwork market score of 44 (lower middle). Of the 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Iowa, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area scores highest (58). Of the 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Iowa, the Marshalltown area scores highest (71).
Every market in Iowa for gyms and studios
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Iowa, 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
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 58 | 81 | 11.7 | $709K | +0.5% | #110 of 387 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 54 | 610 | 15.6 | $659K | +4.2% | #147 of 387 |
| 2Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 53 | 510 | 17.3 | $602K | +6.7% | #155 of 387 |
| 3Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 51 | 71 | 12.8 | $671K | +1.0% | #177 of 387 |
| 4Dubuque, IA | 48 | 55 | 13.4 | $671K | +0.1% | #205 of 387 |
| 5Iowa City, IA | 45 | 124 | 17.1 | $560K | +4.1% | #249 of 387 |
| 6Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 41 | 251 | 15.5 | $560K | −0.9% | #279 of 387 |
| 7Cedar Rapids, IA | 41 | 190 | 16.7 | $559K | +1.0% | #280 of 387 |
| 8Ames, IA | 34 | 90 | 18.1 | $495K | +2.2% | #330 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Marshalltown, IA | 71 | 11 | 7.1 | $1.1M | −0.5% | #41 of 535 |
| 2Ottumwa, IA | 55 | 16 | 11.4 | $627K | −0.3% | #210 of 535 |
| 3Clinton, IA | 52 | 25 | 12.8 | $628K | −0.9% | #251 of 535 |
| 4Le Mars, IA | 48 | 15 | 14.5 | $627K | 0.0% | #308 of 535 |
| 5Pella, IA | 46 | 23 | 17.3 | $525K | +2.3% | #328 of 535 |
| 6Burlington, IA-IL | 45 | 22 | 11.1 | $651K | −2.5% | #332 of 535 |
| 7Fort Dodge, IA | 45 | 19 | 12.4 | $604K | −0.4% | #334 of 535 |
| 8Carroll, IA | 45 | 13 | 14.8 | $572K | −2.0% | #338 of 535 |
| 9Storm Lake, IA | 45 | 11 | 14.6 | $572K | −1.7% | #339 of 535 |
| 10Oskaloosa, IA | 41 | 12 | 13.7 | $559K | −1.2% | #371 of 535 |
| 11Muscatine, IA | 40 | 23 | 13.3 | $592K | −3.0% | #379 of 535 |
| 12Spirit Lake, IA | 39 | 18 | 20.4 | $471K | +1.7% | #404 of 535 |
| 13Spencer, IA | 36 | 11 | 15.1 | $511K | −0.8% | #427 of 535 |
| 14Mason City, IA | 35 | 34 | 15.0 | $545K | −1.5% | #434 of 535 |
| 15Fort Madison, IA | 28 | 23 | 16.1 | $449K | −3.6% | #480 of 535 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Warren County, IA | 83 | 27 | 13.1 | $805K | +9.0% | #42 of 2,088 |
| 2Benton County, IA | 79 | 9 | 8.8 | $1.1M | +1.8% | #79 of 2,088 |
| 3Buchanan County, IA | 73 | 6 | 7.3 | $1.1M | +1.3% | #173 of 2,088 |
| 4Dallas County, IA | 73 | 59 | 13.9 | $922K | +17.8% | #183 of 2,088 |
| 5Guthrie County, IA | 71 | 5 | 10.9 | $845K | +1.6% | #234 of 2,088 |
| 6Madison County, IA | 70 | 8 | 11.9 | $829K | +3.8% | #251 of 2,088 |
| 7Cedar County, IA | 69 | 6 | 7.9 | $1.1M | −0.7% | #267 of 2,088 |
| 8Allamakee County, IA | 68 | 5 | 8.4 | $935K | +1.2% | #303 of 2,088 |
| 9Harrison County, IA | 68 | 6 | 9.9 | $892K | +0.4% | #308 of 2,088 |
| 10Marshall County, IA | 65 | 11 | 7.1 | $1.1M | −0.5% | #395 of 2,088 |
| 11Jackson County, IA | 65 | 7 | 8.5 | $964K | −0.8% | #400 of 2,088 |
| 12Jones County, IA | 64 | 9 | 11.0 | $732K | +2.9% | #462 of 2,088 |
| 13Cherokee County, IA | 58 | 5 | 9.9 | $846K | −2.4% | #667 of 2,088 |
| 14Grundy County, IA | 58 | 7 | 13.7 | $689K | +0.2% | #688 of 2,088 |
| 15Pottawattamie County, IA | 57 | 37 | 9.8 | $854K | −0.7% | #709 of 2,088 |
| 16Jasper County, IA | 57 | 21 | 14.0 | $594K | +0.9% | #746 of 2,088 |
| 17Black Hawk County, IA | 56 | 59 | 10.8 | $739K | +0.4% | #768 of 2,088 |
| 18Hamilton County, IA | 53 | 8 | 12.4 | $687K | −0.5% | #900 of 2,088 |
| 19Wapello County, IA | 53 | 16 | 11.4 | $627K | −0.3% | #910 of 2,088 |
| 20Wright County, IA | 52 | 6 | 11.2 | $715K | −0.9% | #943 of 2,088 |
| 21Bremer County, IA | 52 | 15 | 15.4 | $598K | +1.1% | #974 of 2,088 |
| 22Cass County, IA | 51 | 6 | 10.3 | $738K | −1.2% | #989 of 2,088 |
| 23Clinton County, IA | 51 | 25 | 12.8 | $628K | −0.9% | #1,010 of 2,088 |
| 24Iowa County, IA | 50 | 8 | 11.6 | $696K | −1.0% | #1,043 of 2,088 |
| 25Clayton County, IA | 48 | 8 | 10.7 | $702K | −1.1% | #1,147 of 2,088 |
Show all 99 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Butler County, IA | 48 | 7 | 11.9 | $687K | −2.0% | #1,151 of 2,088 |
| 27Dubuque County, IA | 48 | 55 | 13.4 | $671K | +0.1% | #1,158 of 2,088 |
| 28Johnson County, IA | 48 | 111 | 17.5 | $557K | +4.6% | #1,178 of 2,088 |
| 29Mills County, IA | 48 | 10 | 18.5 | $553K | +2.6% | #1,180 of 2,088 |
| 30Sioux County, IA | 48 | 24 | 18.9 | $517K | +2.5% | #1,189 of 2,088 |
| 31Plymouth County, IA | 46 | 15 | 14.5 | $627K | 0.0% | #1,250 of 2,088 |
| 32Washington County, IA | 46 | 13 | 14.5 | $588K | +0.6% | #1,258 of 2,088 |
| 33Carroll County, IA | 45 | 13 | 14.8 | $572K | −2.0% | #1,307 of 2,088 |
| 34Delaware County, IA | 45 | 11 | 14.9 | $567K | +1.3% | #1,311 of 2,088 |
| 35Polk County, IA | 45 | 390 | 19.0 | $532K | +4.8% | #1,318 of 2,088 |
| 36Marion County, IA | 45 | 23 | 17.3 | $525K | +2.3% | #1,320 of 2,088 |
| 37Webster County, IA | 44 | 19 | 12.4 | $604K | −0.4% | #1,343 of 2,088 |
| 38Woodbury County, IA | 44 | 57 | 14.0 | $597K | +0.7% | #1,346 of 2,088 |
| 39Henry County, IA | 41 | 10 | 13.1 | $603K | −5.4% | #1,450 of 2,088 |
| 40Muscatine County, IA | 41 | 23 | 13.3 | $592K | −3.0% | #1,452 of 2,088 |
| 41Tama County, IA | 40 | 8 | 11.9 | $625K | −1.5% | #1,482 of 2,088 |
| 42Boone County, IA | 40 | 20 | 18.3 | $501K | +0.4% | #1,495 of 2,088 |
| 43Linn County, IA | 39 | 172 | 18.0 | $522K | +0.7% | #1,523 of 2,088 |
| 44Story County, IA | 39 | 70 | 18.0 | $494K | +2.7% | #1,527 of 2,088 |
| 45Floyd County, IA | 38 | 8 | 12.3 | $631K | −4.4% | #1,545 of 2,088 |
| 46Kossuth County, IA | 38 | 8 | 12.2 | $624K | −3.2% | #1,546 of 2,088 |
| 47Buena Vista County, IA | 38 | 11 | 14.6 | $572K | −1.7% | #1,550 of 2,088 |
| 48Clay County, IA | 37 | 11 | 15.1 | $511K | −0.8% | #1,588 of 2,088 |
| 49Scott County, IA | 36 | 140 | 19.1 | $495K | +0.4% | #1,619 of 2,088 |
| 50Mitchell County, IA | 36 | 8 | 17.4 | $481K | +0.6% | #1,622 of 2,088 |
| 51Mahaska County, IA | 34 | 12 | 13.7 | $559K | −1.2% | #1,668 of 2,088 |
| 52Crawford County, IA | 34 | 9 | 14.2 | $551K | −1.5% | #1,669 of 2,088 |
| 53Dickinson County, IA | 34 | 18 | 20.4 | $471K | +1.7% | #1,678 of 2,088 |
| 54O’Brien County, IA | 33 | 9 | 15.5 | $494K | +0.5% | #1,705 of 2,088 |
| 55Des Moines County, IA | 32 | 22 | 12.8 | $569K | −2.0% | #1,724 of 2,088 |
| 56Hardin County, IA | 30 | 9 | 12.8 | $563K | −2.2% | #1,781 of 2,088 |
| 57Lee County, IA | 30 | 23 | 16.1 | $449K | −3.6% | #1,791 of 2,088 |
| 58Cerro Gordo County, IA | 29 | 33 | 16.9 | $482K | −1.5% | #1,820 of 2,088 |
| 59Winneshiek County, IA | 27 | 18 | 22.1 | $396K | −1.6% | #1,874 of 2,088 |
| 60Poweshiek County, IA | 24 | 18 | 23.1 | $360K | −1.4% | #1,928 of 2,088 |
| 61Fayette County, IA | 21 | 14 | 16.8 | $434K | −2.1% | #1,959 of 2,088 |
| 62Appanoose County, IA | 17 | 7 | 13.5 | $459K | −1.7% | #1,999 of 2,088 |
| 63Jefferson County, IA | 16 | 14 | 20.1 | $361K | −2.5% | #2,008 of 2,088 |
| 64Union County, IA | 11 | 10 | 19.5 | $324K | −2.5% | #2,053 of 2,088 |
| Page County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 6.4 | $1.1M | −2.3% | |
| Lyon County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 4.5 | $2M | +3.6% | |
| Chickasaw County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 2.0 | $4.1M | −2.8% | |
| Shelby County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 8.2 | $1.1M | −0.2% | |
| Louisa County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 7.1 | $1.2M | −3.7% | |
| Hancock County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 4.3 | $1.7M | −2.2% | |
| Winnebago County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 8.6 | $871K | −3.8% | |
| Montgomery County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 6.5 | $1.1M | −3.2% | |
| Franklin County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 9.5 | $698K | −1.2% | |
| Keokuk County, IA | Not scored | 7 | 17.2 | $429K | −2.0% | |
| Calhoun County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 10.0 | $775K | −3.4% | |
| Sac County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 2.3 | $3.3M | −2.7% | |
| Clarke County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 7.4 | $1.1M | −1.6% | |
| Humboldt County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 4.7 | $1.8M | −2.0% | |
| Howard County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 10.6 | $705K | −0.8% | |
| Emmet County, IA | Not scored | 5 | 12.3 | $548K | −2.5% | |
| Davis County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 9.4 | $880K | +1.3% | |
| Palo Alto County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 10.6 | $767K | −1.0% | |
| Lucas County, IA | Not scored | 5 | 13.5 | $501K | +2.6% | |
| Greene County, IA | Not scored | 4 | 10.2 | $743K | −1.0% | |
| Monona County, IA | Not scored | 5 | 12.9 | $582K | −2.4% | |
| Decatur County, IA | Not scored | 6 | 19.6 | $329K | −0.9% | |
| Monroe County, IA | Not scored | 5 | 16.2 | $460K | −2.5% | |
| Adair County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 6.2 | $1.3M | −1.3% | |
| Worth County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 3.1 | $2.6M | −1.3% | |
| Van Buren County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 6.9 | $1M | −1.2% | |
| Pocahontas County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 6.7 | $1M | −3.5% | |
| Ida County, IA | Not scored | 7 | 23.0 | $324K | −3.4% | |
| Wayne County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 11.7 | $655K | +3.6% | |
| Fremont County, IA | Not scored | 3 | 10.6 | $805K | −0.8% | |
| Osceola County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 3.8 | $2.1M | −3.6% | |
| Taylor County, IA | Not scored | 2 | 8.0 | $878K | −0.5% | |
| Audubon County, IA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.0% | |
| Ringgold County, IA | Not scored | 1 | 5.3 | $1.6M | 0.0% | |
| Adams County, IA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.5% |
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 Iowa?
There are 1,941 gyms and studios on map listings in Iowa as of September 2026. 404 of them (21%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 697 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, up 3.9% from 2019.
How much do households in Iowa spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $1.2B a year, or $890 per household. That is 9% below the U.S. average (an index of 91, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,941 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $603K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 1,315,707 households in Iowa and national spending patterns by income.
How does Iowa compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Iowa has 14.8 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $603K, 9% below the U.S. figure of $662K. At the national ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Iowa would have about 1,769, against 1,941 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,888 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count rose 3.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.
Which market in Iowa has the highest market score for gyms and studios?
Among 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Iowa, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro area scores highest, at 58 (upper middle). Among 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Iowa, the Marshalltown area scores highest, at 71 (upper middle). Among 64 scored counties in Iowa, Warren County scores highest, at 83 (high). 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. Iowa scores 44 for gyms and studios (lower middle), #37 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 Iowa. 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.
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Top markets for gyms and studios across the U.S. · All business types in Iowa
Related business types in Iowa
- Gyms1,120 listings
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios236 listings
- Martial arts and dance studios585 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Iowa?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
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.