Fitness and classes · County · Tennessee
Gyms and studios in Knox County, TN
The gyms and studios in Knox County, TN, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 41 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,464 of 2,088 scored counties
#47 of 68 scored counties in Tennessee
- Listings
- 305
- 81 chain locations (27%)
- Official establishments
- 127
- +16.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $152.5M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $758 a household
- Spending per listing
- $500K
- 24% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 15.2
- 2% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 511,453
- +6.5% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in Knox 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 Knox 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 $758 per household (23% below the U.S. average), households in Knox County spend about $152.5M a year on memberships, classes and admissions. That works out to $500K per location, 24% below the U.S. figure of $662K.
There are 305 gyms and studios on map listings in Knox County as of September 2026. Of those, 81 are chain locations, or 27%, against 20% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 15.2, 2% above the U.S. rate of 14.9.
Official counts show 127 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Knox County in 2023, up 16.5% from 2019. That is one for every 1,584 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 10 SBA-backed loans worth $6.4M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Knox County.
Population estimates put the population change in Knox County from 2020 to 2025 at +6.5%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). Knox County scores 41 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for gyms and studios, ranking #1,464 of 2,088 scored counties and #47 of 68 scored counties in Tennessee.
How Knox County compares
The same measures for Tennessee 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 | Knox County | Tennessee | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 15.2 | 12.3 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $500K | $572K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,584 | 2,108 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +16.5% | +18.7% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +6.5% | +5.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $758 | $703 | $983 |
| Median household income | $74,222 | $69,595 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 41 | 50 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 109 → 127+16.5% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,837
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $32M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 30581 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 230The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 10
- Amount
- $6.4M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Knox 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 Knox County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 511,453+6.5% since 2020
- Households
- 201,146
- Median age
- 38.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 65%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 508 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 972
- Median household income
- $74,222+29.2% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $104,460
- Median home value
- $320,900
- Jobs located here
- 270,203
- Daytime population
- 541,810Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Knox 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 Knox 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 Tennessee
Every Tennessee market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Tennessee for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in Tennessee, with Knox County marked.
Top counties in Tennessee
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Fayette County, TN | 85 | 13 | 7.6 | $1.1M | +7.7% | #27 of 2,088 |
| 2Cheatham County, TN | 78 | 13 | 8.0 | $950K | +4.1% | #92 of 2,088 |
| 3Bedford County, TN | 76 | 11 | 5.6 | $1.1M | +9.7% | #123 of 2,088 |
| 4Roane County, TN | 76 | 19 | 8.3 | $817K | +7.0% | #131 of 2,088 |
| 5Robertson County, TN | 75 | 28 | 9.9 | $743K | +9.9% | #142 of 2,088 |
| 6Loudon County, TN | 75 | 27 | 11.2 | $710K | +15.6% | #143 of 2,088 |
| 7Tipton County, TN | 74 | 14 | 6.2 | $1.1M | +2.0% | #154 of 2,088 |
| 8Marshall County, TN | 72 | 11 | 8.1 | $841K | +10.5% | #206 of 2,088 |
| 9Hickman County, TN | 71 | 5 | 5.3 | $1.1M | +5.0% | #219 of 2,088 |
| 10Lincoln County, TN | 70 | 10 | 6.7 | $928K | +4.3% | #245 of 2,088 |
| 47Knox County, TN | 41 | 305 | 15.2 | $500K | +6.5% | #1,464 of 2,088 |
Other business types in Knox 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 classes41
- Gyms43
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios51
- Martial arts and dance studios43
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Knox County, TN?
As of September 2026, map listings count 305 gyms and studios in Knox County. 81 of them (27%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 127 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, up 16.5% from 2019.
How much do households in Knox County, TN spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $152.5M a year, or $758 per household. That is 23% below the U.S. average (an index of 77, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 305 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $500K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 201,146 households in Knox County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Knox County, TN compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Knox County has 15.2 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 2% above the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $500K, 24% below the U.S. figure of $662K. At the U.S. ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Knox County would have about 230, against 305 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,584 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count rose 16.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Knox County, TN growing?
Population estimates put Knox County at 511,453 people in 2025, up 6.5% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 201,146 households. The median household income in Knox County is $74,222 a year, 8% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 29.2% 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. Knox County scores 41 for gyms and studios (lower middle), #1,464 of 2,088 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Knox 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 Knox County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Knox 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 Knox 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.