Groundwork

Market rankings · Rhode Island

Gyms in Rhode Island

Every metro area, small-town market and county in Rhode Island, ranked by the Groundwork market score for gyms, with competitor counts and household spending for each.

Listings
382
83 chain locations (22%)
Official establishments
178
All fitness and recreational sports centers · +5.3% since 2019
Household spending a year
$446.7M
On memberships, classes and admissions
Listings per 10k households
8.7
14% above the U.S.
Spending per listing
$1.2M
10% below the U.S.
Rank among states
#46 of 51
Market score 37 · Lower middle

A site report maps the gyms on map listings around any address in Rhode Island by name and distance, and the spending within reach.

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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

Rhode Island has 382 gyms on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 83 are chain locations, or 22%, against 28% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 8.7, 14% above the U.S. rate of 7.6.

Households in Rhode Island spend about $446.7M a year on memberships, classes and admissions, or $1,012 per household, 3% above the U.S. average. Spread across 382 gyms, that is $1.2M per gym, 10% below the U.S. figure of $1.3M. The spending figure covers all memberships, classes and admissions, not only gyms.

In 2023, official counts showed 178 businesses with payroll in Rhode Island classed as fitness and recreational sports centers, up 5.3% from 2019. That is one for every 2,481 households, against one for every 3,109 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.8% over the same years. That count covers all fitness and recreational sports centers (yoga, Pilates and fitness studios included), not only gyms. Since fiscal 2022, 16 SBA-backed loans worth $4.3M have gone to businesses classed as fitness and recreational sports centers in Rhode Island.

Among the 50 states and DC, Rhode Island ranks #46 for gyms, with a Groundwork market score of 37 (lower middle). The one scored metro area in or partly in Rhode Island, the Providence-Warwick metro area, scores 49. Among 5 scored counties, Washington County scores highest (57).

Every market in Rhode Island for gyms

Download the ranking (CSV)

Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Rhode Island, 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

Metro areas reaching Rhode Island, ranked for gyms by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Providence-Warwick, RI-MA495568.2$1.2M+2.1%#201 of 387

Counties

Counties in Rhode Island, ranked for gyms by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Washington County, RI57417.8$1.6M0.0%#636 of 1,792
2Providence County, RI542007.7$1.2M+2.8%#766 of 1,792
3Kent County, RI46719.7$1.1M+1.8%#1,056 of 1,792
4Newport County, RI404311.7$1M−2.9%#1,237 of 1,792
5Bristol County, RI352713.4$982K−1.5%#1,378 of 1,792

Questions

How many gyms are in Rhode Island?

Map listings as of September 2026 show 382 gyms in Rhode Island. 83 of them (22%) are chain locations. The listings count gyms and fitness centers. Official counts show 178 businesses with payroll classed as fitness and recreational sports centers in 2023, up 5.3% from 2019. The official count takes in all fitness and recreational sports centers, not only gyms: yoga, Pilates and fitness studios are counted too.

How much do households in Rhode Island spend on memberships, classes and admissions?

About $446.7M a year, or $1,012 per household. That is 3% above the U.S. average (an index of 103, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 382 gyms on map listings, it comes to $1.2M per gym. That spending covers all memberships, classes and admissions, which gyms share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 441,570 households in Rhode Island and national spending patterns by income.

How does Rhode Island compare with the U.S. for gyms?

Rhode Island has 8.7 gyms per 10,000 households, 14% above the U.S. rate of 7.6. Spending per gym is $1.2M, 10% below the U.S. figure of $1.3M. At the U.S. ratio of gyms to household spending, Rhode Island would have about 343, against 382 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,481 households, against one for every 3,109 across the U.S. The official count rose 5.3% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.8% for the U.S.

Which market in Rhode Island has the highest market score for gyms?

The one scored metro area in or partly in Rhode Island is the Providence-Warwick metro area, at 49 (lower middle). Among 5 scored counties in Rhode Island, Washington County scores highest, at 57 (upper middle). 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. Rhode Island scores 37 for gyms (lower middle), #46 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 Rhode Island. 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

Top markets for gyms across the U.S. · All business types in Rhode Island

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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.