Fitness and classes · County · Wisconsin
Gyms and studios in Milwaukee County, WI
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for gyms and studios in Milwaukee County, WI, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 43 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,380 of 2,088 scored counties
#57 of 62 scored counties in Wisconsin
- Listings
- 507
- 108 chain locations (21%)
- Official establishments
- 187
- +5.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $316.7M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $807 a household
- Spending per listing
- $625K
- 6% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 12.9
- 13% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 924,216
- −1.5% since 2020
See the gyms and studios around any address in Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee 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 507 gyms and studios in Milwaukee County. Of those, 108 are chain locations, or 21%, against 20% across the U.S. That is 12.9 per 10,000 households, 13% below the U.S. rate of 14.9.
Household spending on memberships, classes and admissions in Milwaukee County comes to about $316.7M a year: $807 per household, 18% below the U.S. average. That works out to $625K per location, 6% below the U.S. figure of $662K.
Official counts show 187 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Milwaukee County in 2023, up 5.1% from 2019. That is one for every 2,098 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 8 SBA-backed loans worth $3M have gone to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Milwaukee County.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Milwaukee County declined 1.5%, against +3.1% for the U.S. The Groundwork market score for gyms and studios in Milwaukee County is 43 (lower middle), #1,380 of 2,088 scored counties and #57 of 62 scored counties in Wisconsin.
How Milwaukee County compares
The same measures for Wisconsin 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 | Milwaukee County | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 12.9 | 13.8 | 14.9 |
| Spending per listing | $625K | $668K | $662K |
| Households per official establishment | 2,098 | 1,692 | 1,641 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +5.1% | +10.2% | +8.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −1.5% | +1.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $807 | $921 | $983 |
| Median household income | $64,435 | $77,485 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 43 | 46 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 178 → 187+5.1% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 3,370
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $55.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 507108 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 478The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 8
- Amount
- $3M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 924,216−1.5% since 2020
- Households
- 392,399
- Median age
- 36.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 50%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.5
- Land area
- 241 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 3,837
- Median household income
- $64,435+27.3% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $88,836
- Median home value
- $230,700
- Jobs located here
- 496,935
- Daytime population
- 971,639Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee 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 Wisconsin
Every Wisconsin market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Wisconsin for gyms and studios, numbered among those based in Wisconsin, with Milwaukee County marked.
Top counties in Wisconsin
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Calumet County, WI | 84 | 17 | 8.0 | $1.3M | +2.9% | #32 of 2,088 |
| 2Oconto County, WI | 79 | 8 | 4.8 | $1.8M | +2.9% | #75 of 2,088 |
| 3Trempealeau County, WI | 76 | 7 | 5.6 | $1.5M | +1.1% | #118 of 2,088 |
| 4Iowa County, WI | 76 | 8 | 7.9 | $1.2M | +1.0% | #120 of 2,088 |
| 5Sawyer County, WI | 73 | 7 | 7.9 | $932K | +4.0% | #181 of 2,088 |
| 6Lafayette County, WI | 73 | 7 | 10.4 | $799K | +5.2% | #187 of 2,088 |
| 7Washington County, WI | 72 | 64 | 11.2 | $958K | +1.8% | #199 of 2,088 |
| 8Vernon County, WI | 72 | 11 | 8.9 | $918K | +2.4% | #201 of 2,088 |
| 9Polk County, WI | 72 | 23 | 11.8 | $739K | +1.7% | #214 of 2,088 |
| 10Clark County, WI | 71 | 8 | 6.2 | $1.3M | +1.2% | #217 of 2,088 |
| 57Milwaukee County, WI | 43 | 507 | 12.9 | $625K | −1.5% | #1,380 of 2,088 |
Other business types in Milwaukee 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 classes43
- Gyms47
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios39
- Martial arts and dance studios51
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms and studios are in Milwaukee County, WI?
Milwaukee County has 507 gyms and studios on map listings as of September 2026. 108 of them (21%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms, fitness studios, martial arts and dance studios. Official counts show 187 businesses with payroll classed as fitness centers and recreation instruction in 2023, up 5.1% from 2019.
How much do households in Milwaukee County, WI spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $316.7M a year, or $807 per household. That is 18% below the U.S. average (an index of 82, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 507 gyms and studios on map listings, it comes to $625K per location. It is estimated from the incomes of the 392,399 households in Milwaukee County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Milwaukee County, WI compare with the U.S. for gyms and studios?
Milwaukee County has 12.9 gyms and studios per 10,000 households, 13% below the U.S. rate of 14.9. Spending per location is $625K, 6% below the U.S. figure of $662K. At the national ratio of gyms and studios to household spending, Milwaukee County would have about 478, against 507 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,098 households, against one for every 1,641 across the U.S. The official count rose 5.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +8.2% for the U.S.
How fast is Milwaukee County, WI growing?
Population estimates put Milwaukee County at 924,216 people in 2025, down 1.5% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 392,399 households. Median household income in Milwaukee County is $64,435, 20% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 27.3%, 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. Milwaukee County scores 43 for gyms and studios (lower middle), #1,380 of 2,088 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee 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.