Fitness and classes · County · Minnesota
Gyms and studios in Dakota County, MN
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for gyms and studios in Dakota County, MN, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 66 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #373 of 2,088 scored counties
#19 of 63 scored counties in Minnesota
- Listings
- 254
- 89 chain locations (35%)
- Official establishments
- 130
- +8.3% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $218.2M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $1,252 a household
- Spending per listing
- $859K
- 30% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 14.6
- 2% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 457,710
- +3.9% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in Dakota 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 Dakota 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
Households in Dakota County spend about $218.2M a year on memberships, classes and admissions, or $1,252 per household, 27% above the U.S. average. That works out to $859K per location, 30% above the U.S. figure of $662K.
There are 254 gyms and studios on map listings in Dakota County as of September 2026. Of those, 89 are chain locations, or 35%, against 20% across the U.S. That comes to 14.6 for every 10,000 households, 2% below the U.S. rate of 14.9.
In 2023, official counts showed 130 businesses with payroll in Dakota County classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction, up 8.3% from 2019. That is one for every 1,341 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 26 SBA-backed loans worth $17.7M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Dakota County.
Population estimates show Dakota County grew 3.9% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For gyms and studios, Dakota County has a Groundwork market score of 66 (upper middle): #373 of 2,088 scored counties and #19 of 63 scored counties in Minnesota. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Dakota County compares
The same measures for Minnesota 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 | Dakota County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 14.6 | 14.7 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $859K | $739K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,341 | 1,674 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +8.3% | +2.1% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.9% | +2.1% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $1,252 | $1,085 | $983 |
| Median household income | $106,318 | $89,062 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 66 | 62 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 120 → 130+8.3% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,226
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $39.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 25489 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 330The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 26
- Amount
- $17.7M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Dakota 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 Dakota County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 457,710+3.9% since 2020
- Households
- 174,362
- Median age
- 39.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 75%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 563 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 792
- Median household income
- $106,318+23.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $131,265
- Median home value
- $381,000
- Jobs located here
- 180,369
- Daytime population
- 396,728Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Dakota 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 Dakota 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 Minnesota
Every Minnesota market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Minnesota for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in Minnesota, with Dakota County marked.
Top counties in Minnesota
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Isanti County, MN | 86 | 17 | 10.4 | $902K | +7.3% | #24 of 2,088 |
| 2Pine County, MN | 82 | 7 | 5.7 | $1.4M | +5.5% | #44 of 2,088 |
| 3Cass County, MN | 82 | 8 | 6.2 | $1.3M | +4.2% | #45 of 2,088 |
| 4Clay County, MN | 78 | 26 | 9.8 | $937K | +3.6% | #93 of 2,088 |
| 5Scott County, MN | 77 | 75 | 13.6 | $1.1M | +5.1% | #103 of 2,088 |
| 6Kanabec County, MN | 77 | 5 | 7.6 | $1M | +3.6% | #104 of 2,088 |
| 7Todd County, MN | 75 | 6 | 5.9 | $1.3M | +3.0% | #134 of 2,088 |
| 8Benton County, MN | 73 | 12 | 7.2 | $1.2M | +0.9% | #171 of 2,088 |
| 9Morrison County, MN | 73 | 11 | 7.8 | $1M | +1.9% | #175 of 2,088 |
| 10Anoka County, MN | 73 | 170 | 12.4 | $931K | +4.7% | #182 of 2,088 |
| 19Dakota County, MN | 66 | 254 | 14.6 | $859K | +3.9% | #373 of 2,088 |
Other business types in Dakota 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 classes66
- Gyms67
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios73
- Martial arts and dance studios68
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Dakota County, MN?
As of September 2026, map listings count 254 gyms and studios in Dakota County. 89 of them (35%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 130 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, up 8.3% from 2019.
How much do households in Dakota County, MN spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $218.2M a year, or $1,252 per household. That is 27% above the U.S. average (an index of 127, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 254 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $859K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 174,362 households in Dakota County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Dakota County, MN compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Dakota County has 14.6 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 2% below the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $859K, 30% above the U.S. figure of $662K. At the U.S. ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Dakota County would have about 330, against 254 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,341 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count rose 8.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Dakota County, MN growing?
Population estimates put Dakota County at 457,710 people in 2025, up 3.9% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 174,362 households. The median household income in Dakota County is $106,318 a year, 32% 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. Dakota County scores 66 for gyms and studios (upper middle), #373 of 2,088 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Dakota 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 Dakota County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Dakota 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 Dakota 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.