Market rankings · Alabama
Gyms in Alabama
Markets across Alabama ranked by the Groundwork market score for gyms, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,399
- 396 chain locations (28%)
- Official establishments
- 495
- All fitness and recreational sports centers · +10.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.3B
- On memberships, classes and admissions
- Listings per 10k households
- 7.0
- 8% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $936K
- 28% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #43 of 51
- Market score 39 · Lower middle
A site report maps the gyms on map listings around any address in Alabama by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
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 1,399 gyms in Alabama. 396 of them (28%) are chain locations, against 28% across the U.S. That comes to 7.0 for every 10,000 households, 8% below the U.S. rate of 7.6.
At $656 per household (33% below the U.S. average), households in Alabama spend about $1.3B a year on memberships, classes and admissions. That is about $936K of household spending for each gym on map listings, 28% below the U.S. figure of $1.3M. That spending covers all memberships, classes and admissions, which gyms share with other businesses in the trade.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as fitness and recreational sports centers in Alabama was 495 in 2023, up 10.7% from 2019. That is one for every 4,035 households, against one for every 3,109 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.8% over the same years. The official count takes in all fitness and recreational sports centers, not only gyms: yoga, Pilates and fitness studios are counted too. Since fiscal 2022, 46 SBA-backed loans worth $23.1M have gone to businesses classed as fitness and recreational sports centers in Alabama.
Among the 50 states and DC, Alabama ranks #43 for gyms, with a Groundwork market score of 39 (lower middle). Of the 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Alabama, the Huntsville metro area scores highest (52). Of the 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in Alabama, the Ozark area scores highest (65).
Every market in Alabama for gyms
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Alabama, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Huntsville, AL | 52 | 154 | 7.5 | $1.1M | +12.5% | #172 of 387 |
| 2Decatur, AL | 51 | 38 | 6.1 | $1.1M | +2.5% | #185 of 387 |
| 3Tuscaloosa, AL | 50 | 56 | 5.3 | $1.2M | +2.9% | #192 of 387 |
| 4Auburn-Opelika, AL | 41 | 47 | 6.1 | $1.1M | +7.1% | #272 of 387 |
| 5Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | 41 | 107 | 10.9 | $703K | +14.8% | #276 of 387 |
| 6Gadsden, AL | 36 | 20 | 5.1 | $1M | +0.4% | #315 of 387 |
| 7Dothan, AL | 36 | 38 | 6.2 | $933K | +3.4% | #317 of 387 |
| 8Anniston-Oxford, AL | 32 | 28 | 6.2 | $859K | −0.3% | #342 of 387 |
| 9Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 32 | 49 | 7.7 | $783K | +3.5% | #343 of 387 |
| 10Birmingham, AL | 30 | 373 | 8.0 | $918K | +1.4% | #348 of 387 |
| 11Montgomery, AL | 29 | 110 | 7.3 | $884K | +0.9% | #353 of 387 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | 28 | 88 | 6.9 | $881K | −1.3% | #360 of 387 |
| 12Mobile, AL | 23 | 113 | 7.0 | $863K | −0.7% | #375 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Ozark, AL | 65 | 5 | 2.5 | $2.1M | +1.3% | #84 of 506 |
| LaGrange, GA-AL | 65 | 19 | 4.7 | $1.2M | +3.0% | #94 of 506 |
| 2Cullman, AL | 59 | 24 | 6.8 | $906K | +6.7% | #164 of 506 |
| 3Enterprise, AL | 58 | 13 | 6.2 | $1.1M | +6.3% | #175 of 506 |
| 4Albertville, AL | 56 | 29 | 8.0 | $800K | +6.0% | #193 of 506 |
| 5Alexander City, AL | 54 | 8 | 4.7 | $1.2M | −0.8% | #219 of 506 |
| 6Talladega-Sylacauga, AL | 49 | 21 | 5.5 | $971K | 0.0% | #270 of 506 |
| 7Scottsboro, AL | 47 | 15 | 6.9 | $768K | +3.3% | #290 of 506 |
| 8Fort Payne, AL | 42 | 13 | 5.0 | $981K | +3.4% | #343 of 506 |
| 9Russellville, AL | 37 | 6 | 5.0 | $990K | +1.1% | #393 of 506 |
| 10Troy, AL | 28 | 9 | 7.2 | $711K | +2.4% | #456 of 506 |
| 11Eufaula, AL-GA | 26 | 5 | 4.9 | $963K | −1.2% | #463 of 506 |
| 12Selma, AL | 14 | 7 | 4.4 | $876K | −7.9% | #489 of 506 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Limestone County, AL | 87 | 20 | 4.9 | $1.7M | +18.0% | #28 of 1,792 |
| 2Chilton County, AL | 64 | 7 | 3.9 | $1.5M | +5.9% | #392 of 1,792 |
| 3Dale County, AL | 59 | 5 | 2.5 | $2.1M | +1.3% | #544 of 1,792 |
| 4Blount County, AL | 59 | 9 | 4.1 | $1.5M | +1.8% | #553 of 1,792 |
| 5Elmore County, AL | 55 | 22 | 6.7 | $1M | +4.2% | #739 of 1,792 |
| 6Morgan County, AL | 55 | 32 | 6.5 | $1M | +2.6% | #740 of 1,792 |
| 7Lawrence County, AL | 54 | 6 | 4.4 | $1.4M | +2.3% | #753 of 1,792 |
| 8Tuscaloosa County, AL | 54 | 51 | 5.7 | $1.2M | +3.8% | #767 of 1,792 |
| 9Cullman County, AL | 54 | 24 | 6.8 | $906K | +6.7% | #778 of 1,792 |
| 10Madison County, AL | 52 | 134 | 8.1 | $1.1M | +11.0% | #851 of 1,792 |
| 11St. Clair County, AL | 52 | 28 | 8.0 | $844K | +7.1% | #859 of 1,792 |
| 12Marshall County, AL | 51 | 29 | 8.0 | $800K | +6.0% | #896 of 1,792 |
| 13Shelby County, AL | 50 | 84 | 9.7 | $991K | +6.5% | #933 of 1,792 |
| 14Tallapoosa County, AL | 49 | 8 | 4.7 | $1.2M | −0.8% | #948 of 1,792 |
| 15Coffee County, AL | 49 | 13 | 6.2 | $1.1M | +6.3% | #964 of 1,792 |
| 16Autauga County, AL | 46 | 16 | 7.0 | $1.1M | +5.1% | #1,057 of 1,792 |
| 17Lee County, AL | 46 | 44 | 6.3 | $1.1M | +8.6% | #1,058 of 1,792 |
| 18Baldwin County, AL | 45 | 107 | 10.9 | $703K | +14.8% | #1,119 of 1,792 |
| 19Lauderdale County, AL | 44 | 29 | 7.4 | $843K | +3.3% | #1,146 of 1,792 |
| 20Jackson County, AL | 44 | 15 | 6.9 | $768K | +3.3% | #1,149 of 1,792 |
| 21Etowah County, AL | 40 | 20 | 5.1 | $1M | +0.4% | #1,235 of 1,792 |
| 22Randolph County, AL | 40 | 5 | 5.4 | $992K | +4.8% | #1,239 of 1,792 |
| 23Talladega County, AL | 40 | 21 | 6.2 | $866K | +0.3% | #1,247 of 1,792 |
| 24Chambers County, AL | 38 | 5 | 3.7 | $1.3M | −0.9% | #1,289 of 1,792 |
| 25Calhoun County, AL | 38 | 28 | 6.2 | $859K | −0.3% | #1,303 of 1,792 |
Show all 67 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Russell County, AL | 35 | 10 | 4.2 | $1.2M | −0.6% | #1,370 of 1,792 |
| 27DeKalb County, AL | 35 | 13 | 5.0 | $981K | +3.4% | #1,380 of 1,792 |
| 28Houston County, AL | 34 | 28 | 6.5 | $926K | +2.8% | #1,408 of 1,792 |
| 29Covington County, AL | 33 | 12 | 8.2 | $673K | +1.2% | #1,436 of 1,792 |
| 30Walker County, AL | 32 | 19 | 7.5 | $708K | 0.0% | #1,458 of 1,792 |
| 31Geneva County, AL | 31 | 6 | 5.6 | $888K | +3.2% | #1,471 of 1,792 |
| 32Franklin County, AL | 30 | 6 | 5.0 | $990K | +1.1% | #1,489 of 1,792 |
| 33Mobile County, AL | 29 | 113 | 7.0 | $863K | −0.7% | #1,515 of 1,792 |
| 34Colbert County, AL | 29 | 20 | 8.2 | $696K | +3.8% | #1,520 of 1,792 |
| 35Jefferson County, AL | 28 | 223 | 8.3 | $872K | −1.3% | #1,531 of 1,792 |
| 36Montgomery County, AL | 26 | 72 | 7.9 | $767K | −1.1% | #1,576 of 1,792 |
| 37Cherokee County, AL | 26 | 11 | 10.8 | $517K | +5.8% | #1,583 of 1,792 |
| 38Pike County, AL | 22 | 9 | 7.2 | $711K | +2.4% | #1,643 of 1,792 |
| 39Barbour County, AL | 17 | 5 | 5.5 | $874K | −1.4% | #1,695 of 1,792 |
| 40Winston County, AL | 17 | 8 | 8.5 | $625K | +1.4% | #1,701 of 1,792 |
| 41Dallas County, AL | 12 | 7 | 4.4 | $876K | −7.9% | #1,730 of 1,792 |
| 42Escambia County, AL | 12 | 9 | 7.0 | $665K | 0.0% | #1,733 of 1,792 |
| 43Crenshaw County, AL | 10 | 6 | 11.5 | $439K | 0.0% | #1,750 of 1,792 |
| 44Marion County, AL | 9 | 11 | 10.4 | $482K | −0.3% | #1,760 of 1,792 |
| 45Clarke County, AL | 6 | 7 | 8.3 | $635K | −4.2% | #1,776 of 1,792 |
| Bibb County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 3.9 | $1.3M | +0.4% | |
| Monroe County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 2.7 | $1.6M | −3.8% | |
| Marengo County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 3.8 | $1.5M | −5.0% | |
| Pickens County, AL | Not scored | 4 | 5.9 | $843K | −3.9% | |
| Macon County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 4.1 | $1.1M | −6.8% | |
| Butler County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 3.9 | $1.2M | −4.8% | |
| Henry County, AL | Not scored | 4 | 5.7 | $1M | +7.1% | |
| Fayette County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 4.8 | $1.1M | −2.8% | |
| Cleburne County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 5.0 | $1M | +6.0% | |
| Washington County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 3.4 | $2M | −3.3% | |
| Hale County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 1.8 | $2.6M | +2.9% | |
| Clay County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 3.4 | $1.5M | −0.1% | |
| Lamar County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 3.9 | $1.2M | −2.6% | |
| Choctaw County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 5.7 | $831K | −5.7% | |
| Sumter County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 4.1 | $961K | −5.0% | |
| Conecuh County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −5.7% | |
| Coosa County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.7% | |
| Wilcox County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 2.6 | $1.7M | −8.3% | |
| Bullock County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.5% | |
| Lowndes County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −9.0% | |
| Perry County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 2.9 | $1.1M | −12.2% | |
| Greene County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −8.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 gyms on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many gyms are in Alabama?
Alabama has 1,399 gyms on map listings as of September 2026. 396 of them (28%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms and fitness centers. Official counts show 495 businesses with payroll classed as fitness and recreational sports centers in 2023, up 10.7% from 2019. That count covers all fitness and recreational sports centers (yoga, Pilates and fitness studios included), not only gyms.
How much do households in Alabama spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $1.3B a year, or $656 per household. That is 33% below the U.S. average (an index of 67, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,399 gyms on map listings, it comes to $936K per gym. The spending figure covers all memberships, classes and admissions, not only gyms. It is estimated from the incomes of the 1,997,247 households in Alabama and national spending patterns by income.
How does Alabama compare with the U.S. for gyms?
Alabama has 7.0 gyms per 10,000 households, 8% below the U.S. rate of 7.6. Spending per gym is $936K, 28% below the U.S. figure of $1.3M. At the national ratio of gyms to household spending, Alabama would have about 1,007, against 1,399 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 4,035 households, against one for every 3,109 across the U.S. The official count rose 10.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.8% for the U.S.
Which market in Alabama has the highest market score for gyms?
Among 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Alabama, the Huntsville metro area scores highest, at 52 (upper middle). Among 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in Alabama, the Ozark area scores highest, at 65 (upper middle). Among 45 scored counties in Alabama, Limestone County scores highest, at 87 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
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. Alabama scores 39 for gyms (lower middle), #43 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Alabama. It maps the gyms 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.
Gyms in other states
All 51 states
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Top markets for gyms across the U.S. · All business types in Alabama
Related business types in Alabama
- Gyms, studios and classes2,332 listings
- Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios234 listings
- Martial arts and dance studios699 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Alabama?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
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.