Fitness and classes · County · Washington
Gyms and studios in Whatcom County, WA
How Whatcom County, WA 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 59 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #639 of 2,088 scored counties
#29 of 32 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 148
- 18 chain locations (12%)
- Official establishments
- 75
- +2.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $106.4M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $1,132 a household
- Spending per listing
- $719K
- 9% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 15.7
- 5% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 236,392
- +3.9% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 148 gyms and studios in Whatcom County. 18 of them (12%) are chain locations, against 20% across the U.S. That is 15.7 per 10,000 households, 5% above the U.S. rate of 14.9.
Household spending on memberships, classes and admissions in Whatcom County comes to about $106.4M a year: $1,132 per household, 15% above the U.S. average. That is about $719K of household spending for each location on map listings, 9% above the U.S. figure of $662K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Whatcom County was 75 in 2023, up 2.7% from 2019. That is one for every 1,254 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 6 SBA-backed loans worth $2.2M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Whatcom County.
Population estimates put the population change in Whatcom County from 2020 to 2025 at +3.9%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For gyms and studios, Whatcom County has a Groundwork market score of 59 (upper middle): #639 of 2,088 scored counties and #29 of 32 scored counties in Washington.
How Whatcom 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.
| Measure | Whatcom County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 15.7 | 14.4 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $719K | $962K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | 1,254 | 1,380 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +2.7% | +9.7% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.9% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $1,132 | $1,386 | $983 |
| Median household income | $81,784 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 59 | 73 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 73 → 75+2.7% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 975
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $16.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 14818 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 161The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 6
- Amount
- $2.2M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Whatcom 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 Whatcom County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 236,392+3.9% since 2020
- Households
- 94,021
- Median age
- 39.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 64%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 2,108 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 109
- Median household income
- $81,784+29.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $109,611
- Median home value
- $585,800
- Jobs located here
- 90,570
- Daytime population
- 221,278Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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 Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in Washington, with Whatcom County marked.
Top counties in Washington
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Douglas County, WA | 94 | 8 | 5.0 | $2.3M | +8.0% | #1 of 2,088 |
| 2Mason County, WA | 93 | 14 | 5.4 | $2M | +7.8% | #3 of 2,088 |
| 3Lewis County, WA | 89 | 23 | 7.0 | $1.4M | +6.7% | #14 of 2,088 |
| 4Franklin County, WA | 88 | 24 | 8.0 | $1.5M | +5.6% | #17 of 2,088 |
| 5Stevens County, WA | 86 | 16 | 8.3 | $1.1M | +6.6% | #23 of 2,088 |
| 6Klickitat County, WA | 85 | 9 | 9.1 | $1.1M | +6.6% | #26 of 2,088 |
| 7Grays Harbor County, WA | 80 | 30 | 9.8 | $873K | +3.0% | #74 of 2,088 |
| 8Cowlitz County, WA | 78 | 43 | 9.8 | $1M | +3.5% | #90 of 2,088 |
| 9Pacific County, WA | 77 | 12 | 10.9 | $846K | +3.6% | #113 of 2,088 |
| 10Adams County, WA | 76 | 7 | 11.1 | $819K | +4.3% | #130 of 2,088 |
| 29Whatcom County, WA | 59 | 148 | 15.7 | $719K | +3.9% | #639 of 2,088 |
Other business types in Whatcom 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 classes59
- Gyms65
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios48
- Martial arts and dance studios63
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Whatcom County, WA?
Whatcom County has 148 gyms and studios on map listings as of September 2026. 18 of them (12%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 75 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, up 2.7% from 2019.
How much do households in Whatcom County, WA spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $106.4M a year, or $1,132 per household. That is 15% above the U.S. average (an index of 115, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 148 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $719K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 94,021 households in Whatcom County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Whatcom County, WA compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Whatcom County has 15.7 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 5% above the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $719K, 9% above the U.S. figure of $662K. At the national ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Whatcom County would have about 161, against 148 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,254 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count rose 2.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Whatcom County, WA growing?
Population estimates put Whatcom County at 236,392 people in 2025, up 3.9% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 94,021 households. Median household income in Whatcom County is $81,784, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 29.9%, 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. Whatcom County scores 59 for gyms and studios (upper middle), #639 of 2,088 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Whatcom 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 Whatcom County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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.