Fitness and classes · County · Iowa
Gyms and studios in Des Moines County, IA
The gyms and studios in Des Moines County, IA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 32 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,724 of 2,088 scored counties
#55 of 64 scored counties in Iowa
- Listings
- 22
- 3 chain locations (14%)
- Official establishments
- n/a
- Fewer than 3, or not published
- Household spending a year
- $12.5M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $729 a household
- Spending per listing
- $569K
- 14% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 12.8
- 14% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 38,077
- −2.0% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in Des Moines 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 Des Moines 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
The Groundwork market score for gyms and studios in Des Moines County is 32 (lower middle), #1,724 of 2,088 scored counties and #55 of 64 scored counties in Iowa. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
As of September 2026, map listings count 22 gyms and studios in Des Moines County. Chain locations make up 14% of them, against 20% across the U.S. That comes to 12.8 for every 10,000 households, 14% below the U.S. rate of 14.9.
Household spending on memberships, classes and admissions in Des Moines County comes to about $12.5M a year: $729 per household, 26% below the U.S. average. That is about $569K of household spending for each location on map listings, 14% below the U.S. figure of $662K.
There is no official count of businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Des Moines County: counts under 3 aren’t published. Population estimates show Des Moines County declined 2.0% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S.
How Des Moines County compares
The same measures for Iowa 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 | Des Moines County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 12.8 | 14.8 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $569K | $603K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | n/a | 1,888 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +3.9% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −2.0% | +1.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $729 | $890 | $983 |
| Median household income | $62,928 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 32 | 44 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- n/a
- Employees, 2023
- n/a
- Annual payroll, 2023
- n/a
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 223 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 19The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Des Moines 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 Des Moines County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 38,077−2.0% since 2020
- Households
- 17,178
- Median age
- 42.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 75%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 416 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 92
- Median household income
- $62,928+22.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $80,523
- Median home value
- $136,500
- Jobs located here
- 19,578
- Daytime population
- 39,488Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Des Moines 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 Des Moines 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 Iowa
Every Iowa market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Iowa for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in Iowa, with Des Moines County marked.
Top counties in Iowa
| 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 |
| 55Des Moines County, IA | 32 | 22 | 12.8 | $569K | −2.0% | #1,724 of 2,088 |
Other business types in Des Moines 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 classes32
- Gyms39
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios
- Martial arts and dance studios33
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Des Moines County, IA?
Des Moines County has 22 gyms and studios on map listings as of September 2026. 3 of them (14%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. No official count is published for fitness centers and recreation instruction in Des Moines County: counts under 3 are left out.
How much do households in Des Moines County, IA spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $12.5M a year, or $729 per household. That is 26% below the U.S. average (an index of 74, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 22 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $569K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 17,178 households in Des Moines County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Des Moines County, IA compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Des Moines County has 12.8 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 14% below the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $569K, 14% below the U.S. figure of $662K. At the national ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Des Moines County would have about 19, against 22 on map listings.
How fast is Des Moines County, IA growing?
Population estimates put Des Moines County at 38,077 people in 2025, down 2.0% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 17,178 households. Median household income in Des Moines County is $62,928, 22% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 22.8%, 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. Des Moines County scores 32 for gyms and studios (lower middle), #1,724 of 2,088 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Des Moines 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 Des Moines County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Des Moines 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 Des Moines 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.