Fitness and classes · County · Michigan
Gyms in Kent County, MI
The gyms in Kent County, MI, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 61 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #499 of 1,792 scored counties
#28 of 60 scored counties in Michigan
- Listings
- 201
- 69 chain locations (34%)
- Official establishments
- 78
- All fitness and recreational sports centers · −6.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $253.8M
- On memberships, classes and admissions · $989 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.3M
- 3% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 7.8
- 3% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 675,232
- +2.5% since 2020
See the gyms around any address in Kent County
The site report maps the gyms 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 Kent 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 201 gyms in Kent County. Of those, 69 are chain locations, or 34%, against 28% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 7.8, 3% above the U.S. rate of 7.6.
Households in Kent County spend about $253.8M a year on memberships, classes and admissions, or $989 per household, in line with the U.S. average. That is about $1.3M of household spending for each gym on map listings, 3% 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 Kent County was 78 in 2023, down 6.0% from 2019. That is one for every 3,290 households, against one for every 3,109 across the U.S. 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, 27 SBA-backed loans worth $11.3M have gone to businesses classed as fitness and recreational sports centers in Kent County.
Population estimates show Kent County grew 2.5% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Kent County scores 61 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for gyms, ranking #499 of 1,792 scored counties and #28 of 60 scored counties in Michigan.
How Kent County compares
The same measures for Michigan and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all memberships, classes and admissions by the gyms 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 | Kent County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 7.8 | 6.5 | 7.6 |
| Spending per listing | $1.3M | $1.4M | $1.3M |
| Households per official establishment (all fitness and recreational sports centers) | 3,290 | 4,383 | 3,109 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −6.0% | +8.1% | +5.8% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.5% | +0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on memberships, classes and admissions | $989 | $902 | $983 |
| Median household income | $82,631 | $72,875 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 61 | 60 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 83 → 78All fitness and recreational sports centers · −6.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,122
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $37.4M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 20169 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 195The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 27
- Amount
- $11.3M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as fitness and recreational sports centers in Kent 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. These official figures cover all fitness and recreational sports centers, not only gyms.
Population and households in Kent County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 675,232+2.5% since 2020
- Households
- 256,648
- Median age
- 37.4
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 70%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 850 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 781
- Median household income
- $82,631+31.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $109,612
- Median home value
- $289,900
- Jobs located here
- 399,575
- Daytime population
- 767,130Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Kent 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 on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Kent County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardGyms across Michigan
Every Michigan market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Michigan for gyms, numbered among those based in Michigan, with Kent County marked.
Top counties in Michigan
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Antrim County, MI | 80 | 5 | 4.5 | $1.8M | +5.3% | #66 of 1,792 |
| 2Monroe County, MI | 79 | 28 | 4.4 | $2M | +0.7% | #76 of 1,792 |
| 3Lapeer County, MI | 79 | 17 | 4.9 | $1.8M | +1.0% | #78 of 1,792 |
| 4Allegan County, MI | 79 | 29 | 6.4 | $1.5M | +2.1% | #83 of 1,792 |
| 5Montcalm County, MI | 78 | 8 | 3.3 | $2.2M | +4.1% | #85 of 1,792 |
| 6Barry County, MI | 78 | 10 | 4.1 | $2.2M | +2.2% | #86 of 1,792 |
| 7Clinton County, MI | 77 | 23 | 7.3 | $1.4M | +1.6% | #110 of 1,792 |
| 8Livingston County, MI | 74 | 52 | 6.8 | $1.8M | +1.7% | #143 of 1,792 |
| 9Cass County, MI | 74 | 11 | 5.2 | $1.7M | +0.2% | #146 of 1,792 |
| 10Newaygo County, MI | 73 | 6 | 3.1 | $2.4M | +3.1% | #156 of 1,792 |
| 28Kent County, MI | 61 | 201 | 7.8 | $1.3M | +2.5% | #499 of 1,792 |
Other business types in Kent 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
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gyms are in Kent County, MI?
There are 201 gyms on map listings in Kent County as of September 2026. 69 of them (34%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms and fitness centers. Official counts show 78 businesses with payroll classed as fitness and recreational sports centers in 2023, down 6.0% 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 Kent County, MI spend on memberships, classes and admissions?
About $253.8M a year, or $989 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 101, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 201 gyms on map listings, it comes to $1.3M per gym. The spending figure covers all memberships, classes and admissions, not only gyms. It is estimated from the incomes of the 256,648 households in Kent County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Kent County, MI compare with the U.S. for gyms?
Kent County has 7.8 gyms per 10,000 households, 3% above the U.S. rate of 7.6. Spending per gym is $1.3M, 3% below the U.S. figure of $1.3M. At the national ratio of gyms to household spending, Kent County would have about 195, against 201 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 3,290 households, against one for every 3,109 across the U.S. The official count fell 6.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.8% for the U.S.
How fast is Kent County, MI growing?
Population estimates put Kent County at 675,232 people in 2025, up 2.5% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 256,648 households. The median household income in Kent County is $82,631 a year, 2% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 31.1% 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. Kent County scores 61 for gyms (upper middle), #499 of 1,792 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Kent County. 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.
How the score works · Top markets for gyms · All 56 business types in Kent County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Kent 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 Kent 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.