Fitness and classes · County · Kentucky
Gyms and studios in Nelson County, KY
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for gyms and studios in Nelson County, KY, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 64 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #471 of 2,088 scored counties
#11 of 63 scored counties in Kentucky
- Listings
- 19
- 6 chain locations (32%)
- Official establishments
- 3
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $12.4M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $648 a household
- Spending per listing
- $653K
- In line with the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 9.9
- 34% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 49,036
- +4.8% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in Nelson 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 Nelson 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 19 gyms and studios in Nelson County. Of those, 6 are chain locations, or 32%, against 20% across the U.S. That is 9.9 per 10,000 households, 34% below the U.S. rate of 14.9.
At $648 per household (34% below the U.S. average), households in Nelson County spend about $12.4M 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.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Nelson County was 3 in 2023. That is one for every 6,383 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $184K has gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Nelson County.
Population estimates put the population change in Nelson County from 2020 to 2025 at +4.8%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for gyms and studios in Nelson County is 64 (upper middle), #471 of 2,088 scored counties and #11 of 63 scored counties in Kentucky. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Nelson County compares
The same measures for Kentucky 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 | Nelson County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 9.9 | 11.2 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $653K | $576K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | 6,383 | 2,729 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +5.2% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +4.8% | +2.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $648 | $643 | $983 |
| Median household income | $69,562 | $63,726 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 64 | 45 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 4 → 3
- Employees, 2023
- 12
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $202K
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 196 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
- 1
- Amount
- $184K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Nelson 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 Nelson County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 49,036+4.8% since 2020
- Households
- 19,150
- Median age
- 40.6
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 78%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 419 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 114
- Median household income
- $69,562+15.7% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $87,639
- Median home value
- $238,000
- Jobs located here
- 18,213
- Daytime population
- 41,912Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Nelson 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 Nelson 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 Kentucky
Every Kentucky market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Kentucky for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in Kentucky, with Nelson County marked.
Top counties in Kentucky
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Spencer County, KY | 74 | 9 | 12.3 | $724K | +7.7% | #169 of 2,088 |
| 2Oldham County, KY | 71 | 33 | 14.3 | $821K | +4.9% | #235 of 2,088 |
| 3Scott County, KY | 70 | 26 | 11.5 | $710K | +8.2% | #262 of 2,088 |
| 4Woodford County, KY | 68 | 12 | 11.1 | $728K | +3.7% | #325 of 2,088 |
| 5Meade County, KY | 67 | 9 | 8.2 | $863K | +2.2% | #341 of 2,088 |
| 6Boone County, KY | 67 | 66 | 13.0 | $714K | +6.5% | #353 of 2,088 |
| 7Shelby County, KY | 66 | 17 | 9.2 | $847K | +6.2% | #374 of 2,088 |
| 8Logan County, KY | 65 | 6 | 5.5 | $994K | +4.2% | #397 of 2,088 |
| 9Lincoln County, KY | 65 | 5 | 5.2 | $992K | +4.6% | #398 of 2,088 |
| 10Montgomery County, KY | 65 | 6 | 5.5 | $977K | +2.5% | #399 of 2,088 |
| 11Nelson County, KY | 64 | 19 | 9.9 | $653K | +4.8% | #471 of 2,088 |
Other business types in Nelson 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 classes64
- Gyms54
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios
- Martial arts and dance studios
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Nelson County, KY?
There are 19 gyms and studios on map listings in Nelson County as of September 2026. 6 of them (32%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 3 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023.
How much do households in Nelson County, KY spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $12.4M a year, or $648 per household. That is 34% below the U.S. average (an index of 66, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 19 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $653K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 19,150 households in Nelson County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Nelson County, KY compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Nelson County has 9.9 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 34% below the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $653K, in line with the U.S. figure of $662K. The count on map listings matches the U.S. ratio of gyms and studios to household spending. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 6,383 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S.
How fast is Nelson County, KY growing?
Population estimates put Nelson County at 49,036 people in 2025, up 4.8% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 19,150 households. Median household income in Nelson County is $69,562, 14% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 15.7%, 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. Nelson County scores 64 for gyms and studios (upper middle), #471 of 2,088 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Nelson 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 Nelson County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Nelson 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 Nelson 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.