Fitness and classes · Small-town market · Mississippi
Gyms and studios in the Columbus, MS area
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for gyms and studios in the Columbus, MS area, set against other small-town markets and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 11 out of 100: Low
Ranked #526 of 535 scored small-town markets
#16 of 17 scored small-town markets based in Mississippi
- Listings
- 40
- 9 chain locations (23%)
- Official establishments
- 14
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $14.2M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $527 a household
- Spending per listing
- $355K
- 46% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 14.8
- In line with the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 67,144
- −2.7% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in the Columbus area
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 the Columbus area. 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 Columbus area scores 11 (low) on the Groundwork market score for gyms and studios, ranking #526 of 535 scored small-town markets and #16 of 17 scored small-town markets based in Mississippi. That puts it in the bottom quarter of small-town markets.
As of September 2026, map listings count 40 gyms and studios in the Columbus area. Of those, 9 are chain locations, or 23%, against 20% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 14.8, in line with the U.S. rate of 14.9.
Households in the Columbus area spend about $14.2M a year on memberships, classes and admissions, or $527 per household, 46% below the U.S. average. Spread across 40 gyms and studios, that is $355K per location, 46% below the U.S. figure of $662K.
Official counts show 14 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in the Columbus area in 2023. That is one for every 1,925 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 1 SBA-backed loan worth $123K has gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in the Columbus area. Population estimates show the Columbus area declined 2.7% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S.
How the Columbus area compares
The same measures for Mississippi 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 | Columbus area | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 14.8 | 11.3 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $355K | $516K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,925 | 3,038 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +3.6% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −2.7% | −0.1% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $527 | $581 | $983 |
| Median household income | $51,117 | $56,447 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 11 | 30 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 14
- Employees, 2023
- 129
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $1.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 409 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 22The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 1
- Amount
- $123K
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in the Columbus area, 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 the Columbus area
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 67,144−2.7% since 2020
- Households
- 26,952
- Median age
- 39.2
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 63%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 1,201 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 56
- Median household income
- $51,117
- Average household income
- $70,782
- Median home value
- $150,900
- Jobs located here
- 26,423
- Daytime population
- 68,077Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in the Columbus area?
These figures cover the whole small-town market. 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 the Columbus area. 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 Mississippi
Every Mississippi market ranked →The highest-scoring small-town markets in Mississippi for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in Mississippi, with the Columbus area marked.
Top small-town markets in Mississippi
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Picayune, MS | 46 | 35 | 16.0 | $361K | +5.6% | #330 of 535 |
| 2Laurel, MS | 41 | 34 | 10.8 | $495K | −1.5% | #373 of 535 |
| 3Brookhaven, MS | 40 | 15 | 11.4 | $483K | +0.5% | #385 of 535 |
| 4Oxford, MS | 35 | 39 | 16.2 | $418K | +5.3% | #439 of 535 |
| 5Tupelo, MS | 34 | 78 | 15.1 | $408K | +0.8% | #445 of 535 |
| 6Starkville, MS | 31 | 31 | 12.0 | $457K | +0.8% | #459 of 535 |
| 7Clarksdale, MS | 30 | 5 | 5.9 | $667K | −6.5% | #467 of 535 |
| 8Greenville, MS | 30 | 12 | 7.0 | $662K | −9.4% | #468 of 535 |
| 9Meridian, MS | 25 | 37 | 10.7 | $485K | −3.2% | #492 of 535 |
| 10Vicksburg, MS | 24 | 24 | 14.3 | $457K | −6.3% | #496 of 535 |
| 16Columbus, MS | 11 | 40 | 14.8 | $355K | −2.7% | #526 of 535 |
Other business types in the Columbus area
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 classes11
- Gyms13
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios
- Martial arts and dance studios23
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in the Columbus, MS area?
The Columbus area has 40 gyms and studios on map listings as of September 2026. 9 of them (23%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 14 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023.
How much do households in the Columbus, MS area spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $14.2M a year, or $527 per household. That is 46% below the U.S. average (an index of 54, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 40 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $355K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 26,952 households in the Columbus area and national spending patterns by income.
How does the Columbus, MS area compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
The Columbus area has 14.8 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, in line with the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $355K, 46% below the U.S. figure of $662K. At the national ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, the Columbus area would have about 22, against 40 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,925 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S.
How fast is the Columbus, MS area growing?
Population estimates put the Columbus area at 67,144 people in 2025, down 2.7% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 26,952 households. Median household income in the Columbus area is $51,117, 37% below the U.S. median of $80,734.
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. A small-town market is a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people and the county or counties tied to it by commuting. 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. The Columbus area scores 11 for gyms and studios (low), #526 of 535 scored small-town markets.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in the Columbus area. 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 the Columbus area
Screening a site or an acquisition in the Columbus area?
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 the Columbus area. 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.