Fitness and classes · County · Maryland
Gyms and studios in Howard County, MD
The gyms and studios in Howard County, MD, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 53 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #897 of 2,088 scored counties
#15 of 23 scored counties in Maryland
- Listings
- 247
- 49 chain locations (20%)
- Official establishments
- 117
- −12.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $171.8M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $1,419 a household
- Spending per listing
- $696K
- 5% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 20.4
- 37% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 339,183
- +1.9% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in Howard 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 Howard 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 $1,419 per household (44% above the U.S. average), households in Howard County spend about $171.8M a year on memberships, classes and admissions. Spread across 247 gyms and studios, that is $696K per location, 5% above the U.S. figure of $662K.
Howard County has 247 gyms and studios on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 49 are chain locations, or 20%, against 20% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 20.4, 37% above the U.S. rate of 14.9.
Official counts show 117 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Howard County in 2023, down 12.0% from 2019. That is one for every 1,035 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 11 SBA-backed loans worth $5M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Howard County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Howard County grew 1.9%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for gyms and studios in Howard County is 53 (upper middle), #897 of 2,088 scored counties and #15 of 23 scored counties in Maryland.
How Howard County compares
The same measures for Maryland 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 | Howard County | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 20.4 | 13.6 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $696K | $768K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,035 | 1,695 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −12.0% | −3.0% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.9% | +1.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $1,419 | $1,042 | $983 |
| Median household income | $149,763 | $103,678 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 53 | 62 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 133 → 117−12.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,794
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $34.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 24749 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 260The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 11
- Amount
- $5M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Howard 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 Howard County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 339,183+1.9% since 2020
- Households
- 121,065
- Median age
- 40.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 71%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 251 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,340
- Median household income
- $149,763+23.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $184,243
- Median home value
- $597,900
- Jobs located here
- 185,575
- Daytime population
- 363,145Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Howard 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 Howard 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 Maryland
Every Maryland market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Maryland for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in Maryland, with Howard County marked.
Top counties in Maryland
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Queen Anne’s County, MD | 79 | 33 | 16.6 | $668K | +8.8% | #85 of 2,088 |
| 2St. Mary’s County, MD | 74 | 40 | 9.4 | $1.2M | +2.4% | #150 of 2,088 |
| 3Charles County, MD | 74 | 90 | 14.8 | $785K | +5.9% | #167 of 2,088 |
| 4Prince George’s County, MD | 73 | 356 | 10.2 | $966K | +0.5% | #178 of 2,088 |
| 5Calvert County, MD | 71 | 48 | 14.3 | $877K | +1.7% | #230 of 2,088 |
| 6Cecil County, MD | 68 | 47 | 11.6 | $747K | +3.2% | #322 of 2,088 |
| 7Dorchester County, MD | 67 | 9 | 6.6 | $953K | +3.4% | #334 of 2,088 |
| 8Frederick County, MD | 67 | 169 | 16.2 | $736K | +11.0% | #352 of 2,088 |
| 9Washington County, MD | 63 | 62 | 10.4 | $731K | +2.0% | #494 of 2,088 |
| 10Harford County, MD | 60 | 138 | 13.6 | $783K | +2.0% | #581 of 2,088 |
| 15Howard County, MD | 53 | 247 | 20.4 | $696K | +1.9% | #897 of 2,088 |
Other business types in Howard 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 classes53
- Gyms61
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios57
- Martial arts and dance studios50
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Howard County, MD?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 247 gyms and studios in Howard County. 49 of them (20%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 117 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, down 12.0% from 2019.
How much do households in Howard County, MD spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $171.8M a year, or $1,419 per household. That is 44% above the U.S. average (an index of 144, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 247 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $696K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 121,065 households in Howard County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Howard County, MD compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Howard County has 20.4 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 37% above the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $696K, 5% above the U.S. figure of $662K. At the U.S. ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Howard County would have about 260, against 247 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,035 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count fell 12.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Howard County, MD growing?
Population estimates put Howard County at 339,183 people in 2025, up 1.9% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 121,065 households. The median household income in Howard County is $149,763 a year, 86% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 23.6% 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. Howard County scores 53 for gyms and studios (upper middle), #897 of 2,088 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Howard 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 Howard County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Howard 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 Howard 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.