Groundwork

Fitness and classes · County · Washington

Gyms and studios in Thurston County, WA

The gyms and studios in Thurston County, WA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.

Groundwork market score · out of 100

Score 73 out of 100: Upper middle

Ranked #180 of 2,088 scored counties
#13 of 32 scored counties in Washington

Listings
153
22 chain locations (14%)
Official establishments
57
+1.8% since 2019
Household spending a year
$144.8M
On memberships, classes and admissions · $1,218 a household
Spending per listing
$947K
43% above the U.S.
Listings per 10k households
12.9
13% below the U.S.
Population, 2025
304,261
+2.8% since 2020

See the gyms and studios around any address in Thurston 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 Thurston County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

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Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

Thurston County scores 73 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for gyms and studios, ranking #180 of 2,088 scored counties and #13 of 32 scored counties in Washington. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for gyms and studios.

Households in Thurston County spend about $144.8M a year on memberships, classes and admissions, or $1,218 per household, 24% above the U.S. average. That works out to $947K per location, 43% above the U.S. figure of $662K.

There are 153 gyms and studios on map listings in Thurston County as of September 2026. 22 of them (14%) are chain locations, against 20% across the U.S. That is 12.9 per 10,000 households, 13% below the U.S. rate of 14.9.

The official count of businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Thurston County was 57 in 2023, up 1.8% from 2019. That is one for every 2,086 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 9 SBA-backed loans worth $5.9M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Thurston County. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Thurston County grew 2.8%, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%).

How Thurston County compares

The same measures for Washington 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.

Gyms, studios and classes in Thurston County, WA compared with Washington and the U.S.
MeasureThurston CountyWashingtonU.S.
Listings per 10k households12.914.414.9
Spending per listing$947K$962K$662K
Households per official establishment2,0861,3801,641
Official establishment growth, 2019–2023+1.8%+9.7%+8.2%
Population growth, 2020–2025+2.8%+3.6%+3.1%
Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions$1,218$1,386$983
Median household income$96,563$98,141$80,734
Groundwork market score7373

Official counts and lending

Businesses

Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
56 → 57+1.8% over the period
Employees, 2023
850
Annual payroll, 2023
$14.1M
One-person businesses, 2023
Not publishedNot published for this business type
Map listings, September 2026
15322 chain locations
Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
219The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here

SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022

Loans
9
Amount
$5.9M

SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Thurston 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 Thurston County

Population, 2025 estimate
304,261+2.8% since 2020
Households
118,899
Median age
40.9
Homes lived in by their owners
68%
Vehicles per household
2.0
Land area
723 sq. mi.
People per square mile
414
Median household income
$96,563+34.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
Average household income
$114,140
Median home value
$480,300
Jobs located here
136,091
Daytime population
311,425Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here

Looking at a specific site in Thurston 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 Thurston County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

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Gyms, studios and classes across Washington

Every Washington market ranked →

The highest-scoring counties in Washington for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in Washington, with Thurston County marked.

Top counties in Washington

Counties in Washington ranked for gyms and studios by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Douglas County, WA9485.0$2.3M+8.0%#1 of 2,088
2Mason County, WA93145.4$2M+7.8%#3 of 2,088
3Lewis County, WA89237.0$1.4M+6.7%#14 of 2,088
4Franklin County, WA88248.0$1.5M+5.6%#17 of 2,088
5Stevens County, WA86168.3$1.1M+6.6%#23 of 2,088
6Klickitat County, WA8599.1$1.1M+6.6%#26 of 2,088
7Grays Harbor County, WA80309.8$873K+3.0%#74 of 2,088
8Cowlitz County, WA78439.8$1M+3.5%#90 of 2,088
9Pacific County, WA771210.9$846K+3.6%#113 of 2,088
10Adams County, WA76711.1$819K+4.3%#130 of 2,088
13Thurston County, WA7315312.9$947K+2.8%#180 of 2,088

Other business types in Thurston County

Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.

Questions

How many gyms and studios are in Thurston County, WA?

As of September 2026, map listings count 153 gyms and studios in Thurston County. 22 of them (14%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 57 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, up 1.8% from 2019.

How much do households in Thurston County, WA spend on memberships, classes and admissions?

About $144.8M a year, or $1,218 per household. That is 24% above the U.S. average (an index of 124, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 153 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $947K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 118,899 households in Thurston County and national spending patterns by income.

How does Thurston County, WA compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?

Thurston County has 12.9 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 13% below the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $947K, 43% above the U.S. figure of $662K. At the U.S. ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Thurston County would have about 219, against 153 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,086 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count rose 1.8% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.

How fast is Thurston County, WA growing?

Population estimates put Thurston County at 304,261 people in 2025, up 2.8% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 118,899 households. The median household income in Thurston County is $96,563 a year, 20% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 34.1% 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. Thurston County scores 73 for gyms and studios (upper middle), #180 of 2,088 scored counties.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Thurston 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 Thurston County

Screening a site or an acquisition in Thurston 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 Thurston 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.