Fitness and classes · County · Pennsylvania
Gyms and studios in Chester County, PA
How Chester County, PA compares with other counties and the U.S. for gyms and studios: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 56 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #778 of 2,088 scored counties
#28 of 63 scored counties in Pennsylvania
- Listings
- 443
- 97 chain locations (22%)
- Official establishments
- 209
- +13.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $298.6M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $1,458 a household
- Spending per listing
- $674K
- 2% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 21.6
- 45% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 557,116
- +4.2% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in Chester 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 Chester 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 Chester County spend about $298.6M a year on memberships, classes and admissions, or $1,458 per household, 48% above the U.S. average. That is about $674K of household spending for each location on map listings, 2% above the U.S. figure of $662K.
There are 443 gyms and studios on map listings in Chester County as of September 2026. 97 of them (22%) are chain locations, against 20% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 21.6, 45% above the U.S. rate of 14.9.
In 2023, official counts showed 209 businesses with payroll in Chester County classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction, up 13.6% from 2019. That is one for every 980 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 20 SBA-backed loans worth $14.4M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Chester County.
Population estimates show Chester County grew 4.2% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For gyms and studios, Chester County has a Groundwork market score of 56 (upper middle): #778 of 2,088 scored counties and #28 of 63 scored counties in Pennsylvania.
How Chester County compares
The same measures for Pennsylvania 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 | Chester County | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 21.6 | 13.9 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $674K | $668K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | 980 | 1,834 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +13.6% | +3.5% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +4.2% | +0.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $1,458 | $926 | $983 |
| Median household income | $127,208 | $77,971 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 56 | 49 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 184 → 209+13.6% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 3,715
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $64.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 44397 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 451The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 20
- Amount
- $14.4M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Chester 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 Chester County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 557,116+4.2% since 2020
- Households
- 204,774
- Median age
- 41.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 75%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 751 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 730
- Median household income
- $127,208+26.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $168,836
- Median home value
- $485,600
- Jobs located here
- 267,811
- Daytime population
- 548,659Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Chester 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 Chester 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 Pennsylvania
Every Pennsylvania market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Pennsylvania for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in Pennsylvania, with Chester County marked.
Top counties in Pennsylvania
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Adams County, PA | 79 | 39 | 9.5 | $944K | +3.6% | #80 of 2,088 |
| 2Pike County, PA | 78 | 29 | 12.0 | $764K | +7.2% | #98 of 2,088 |
| 3Perry County, PA | 75 | 8 | 4.4 | $1.9M | +2.1% | #133 of 2,088 |
| 4York County, PA | 71 | 196 | 10.8 | $851K | +3.6% | #233 of 2,088 |
| 5Franklin County, PA | 68 | 57 | 9.0 | $932K | +3.0% | #304 of 2,088 |
| 6Lancaster County, PA | 68 | 234 | 11.0 | $877K | +1.9% | #311 of 2,088 |
| 7Mifflin County, PA | 66 | 11 | 5.9 | $1.1M | 0.0% | #364 of 2,088 |
| 8Lebanon County, PA | 66 | 51 | 9.0 | $949K | +2.2% | #367 of 2,088 |
| 9Carbon County, PA | 66 | 25 | 9.2 | $807K | +1.7% | #377 of 2,088 |
| 10Juniata County, PA | 65 | 5 | 5.5 | $1.3M | −0.3% | #393 of 2,088 |
| 28Chester County, PA | 56 | 443 | 21.6 | $674K | +4.2% | #778 of 2,088 |
Other business types in Chester 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 classes56
- Gyms63
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios47
- Martial arts and dance studios59
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Chester County, PA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 443 gyms and studios in Chester County. 97 of them (22%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 209 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, up 13.6% from 2019.
How much do households in Chester County, PA spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $298.6M a year, or $1,458 per household. That is 48% above the U.S. average (an index of 148, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 443 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $674K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 204,774 households in Chester County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Chester County, PA compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Chester County has 21.6 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 45% above the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $674K, 2% above the U.S. figure of $662K. At the U.S. ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Chester County would have about 451, against 443 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 980 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count rose 13.6% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Chester County, PA growing?
Population estimates put Chester County at 557,116 people in 2025, up 4.2% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 204,774 households. The median household income in Chester County is $127,208 a year, 58% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 26.9% 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. Chester County scores 56 for gyms and studios (upper middle), #778 of 2,088 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Chester 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 Chester County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Chester 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 Chester 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.