Fitness and classes · Metro area · Ohio
Gyms and studios in the Columbus, OH metro area
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for gyms and studios in the Columbus, OH metro area, set against other metro areas and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 67 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #53 of 387 scored metro areas
#2 of 12 scored metro areas based in Ohio
- Listings
- 1,244
- 246 chain locations (20%)
- Official establishments
- 483
- +11.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $887.5M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $1,026 a household
- Spending per listing
- $713K
- 8% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 14.4
- 3% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 2,242,028
- +4.7% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in the Columbus metro 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 metro 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
At $1,026 per household (4% above the U.S. average), households in the Columbus metro area spend about $887.5M a year on memberships, classes and admissions. That works out to $713K per location, 8% above the U.S. figure of $662K.
There are 1,244 gyms and studios on map listings in the Columbus metro area as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 20% of them, against 20% across the U.S. That comes to 14.4 for every 10,000 households, 3% below the U.S. rate of 14.9.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in the Columbus metro area was 483 in 2023, up 11.9% from 2019. That is one for every 1,790 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 73 SBA-backed loans worth $33.8M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in the Columbus metro area.
Population estimates show the Columbus metro area grew 4.7% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Columbus metro area scores 67 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for gyms and studios, ranking #53 of 387 scored metro areas and #2 of 12 scored metro areas based in Ohio. That puts it in the top quarter of metro areas.
How the Columbus metro area compares
The same measures for Ohio 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 metro area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 14.4 | 12.7 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $713K | $697K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,790 | 2,215 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +11.9% | +8.7% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +4.7% | +0.9% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $1,026 | $884 | $983 |
| Median household income | $81,945 | $71,389 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 67 | 57 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 483+11.9% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 7,239
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $122.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 1,244246 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 1,341The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 73
- Amount
- $33.8M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in the Columbus metro 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 metro area
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 2,242,028+4.7% since 2020
- Households
- 864,663
- Median age
- 38.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 61%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 4,798 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 454
- Median household income
- $81,945+25.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $110,942
- Median home value
- $300,800
- Jobs located here
- 1,129,650
- Daytime population
- 2,268,069Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in the Columbus metro area?
These figures cover the whole metro area. 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 metro 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 Ohio
Every Ohio market ranked →The highest-scoring metro areas in Ohio for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in Ohio (a market based in another state is listed without a number), with the Columbus metro area marked.
Top metro areas in Ohio
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Springfield, OH | 70 | 42 | 7.5 | $978K | −0.4% | #32 of 387 |
| 2Columbus, OH | 67 | 1,244 | 14.4 | $713K | +4.7% | #53 of 387 |
| 3Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 65 | 402 | 11.7 | $745K | +1.5% | #65 of 387 |
| 4Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 64 | 1,200 | 13.2 | $731K | +2.7% | #70 of 387 |
| 5Lima, OH | 55 | 36 | 8.7 | $857K | −1.2% | #130 of 387 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | 54 | 44 | 7.6 | $842K | −3.6% | #142 of 387 |
| 6Cleveland, OH | 52 | 1,224 | 13.1 | $686K | −0.8% | #162 of 387 |
| 7Mansfield, OH | 51 | 54 | 10.8 | $635K | −0.1% | #180 of 387 |
| 8Toledo, OH | 49 | 314 | 12.3 | $662K | −1.0% | #195 of 387 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 48 | 144 | 9.5 | $653K | −2.6% | #206 of 387 |
Other business types in the Columbus metro 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 classes67
- Gyms59
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios63
- Martial arts and dance studios73
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in the Columbus, OH metro area?
As of September 2026, map listings count 1,244 gyms and studios in the Columbus metro area. 246 of them (20%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 483 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, up 11.9% from 2019.
How much do households in the Columbus, OH metro area spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $887.5M a year, or $1,026 per household. That is 4% above the U.S. average (an index of 104, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,244 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $713K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 864,663 households in the Columbus metro area and national spending patterns by income.
How does the Columbus, OH metro area compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
The Columbus metro area has 14.4 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 3% below the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $713K, 8% above the U.S. figure of $662K. At the U.S. ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, the Columbus metro area would have about 1,341, against 1,244 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,790 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count rose 11.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.
How fast is the Columbus, OH metro area growing?
Population estimates put the Columbus metro area at 2,242,028 people in 2025, up 4.7% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 864,663 households. The median household income in the Columbus metro area is $81,945 a year, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 25.8% 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. The Columbus metro area scores 67 for gyms and studios (upper middle), #53 of 387 scored metro areas.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in the Columbus metro 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 metro area
Screening a site or an acquisition in the Columbus metro 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 metro 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.