Do you remember in 2020 when you spent a small fortune on home gym equipment and knew all the Peloton instructors’ names by heart? Oh, was that just me? OK, OK. Just know that you’re not alone if you bought one of the best commercial treadmills or a power rack for your home gym during lockdown.  

The pandemic era was a weird time. The fitness club industry held its breath wondering if the shift in fitness culture would result in permanent shutdowns. Fast forward to 2024 — what do gym membership statistics look like in the U.S. and globally? How many gyms are in the U.S.? We’ll get into that as well as gym membership costs, how many people go to the gym, some common habits of members (which are quite strange), and a handful of interesting gym ownership statistics. 

Key Takeaways

Roughly 72 million Americans have a gym membership — that’s 22% of the population or about one in five people — according to data compiled by John Dunham and Associates on behalf of the Health & Fitness Association. (1)

Gym memberships cost an average $58 per month or $696 per year. (2)

Research suggests that 63% of gym members quit within the first 6 months, with only 18% of members going to the gym consistently. (3)(4)

Unused gym memberships equate to about $1.8 billion in spend each year in the U.S., per a recent study by Finder.com. (5)

The global gym industry is worth $96 billion, dominated by Life Time, 24 Hour Fitness and LA Fitness in terms of revenue.

Around 12% of all gym membership sign-ups happen in the month of January, according to data compiled by the International Health, Racquet, & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). (6)

Gym Memberships in America

Whether you’re a gym owner, a gymgoer, or just plain interested in gym statistics, you might be wondering how many gyms are in the U.S. 

In 2023, there were 113,326 gym and fitness clubs in the U.S. (7) If that number doesn’t surprise you, I’ll share another statistic — there are only 4,610 Walmarts in the US. (8) The numbers don’t lie, Americans love their fitness facilities. Or at the very least, they love having a gym membership — whether they use it or not is another story. 

BarBend product testers performing cardio exercise and lifting weights.

We all know the new year brings in a fresh surge of motivated new members, but studies show that over half of them quit within the first six months. (3) Strangely, there are millions (yes, millions) of people who continue to shell out the cash for their gym membership but don’t actually use it.

[Related: Planet Fitness Review]

What percentage of gym memberships go unused? According to a Finder.com survey from 2021, 6.1 million people in the U.S. have gym memberships they don’t use. (5) But I know there are well-intentioned people out there who drive around with their packed gym bag in the car only to have it sit untouched for months. (Sigh.)

Taking care of your health and well-being can be hard and often takes a backseat to other life duties, especially if your gym location is inconvenient. One Murphy Research study showed that 45% of people chose their gym because of how convenient the location is. (9) This makes a lot of sense — in 2023, Planet Fitness, which seems like it has a location on every corner these days, reported a whopping 18.4 million members. (10)

States with large populations and diverse economies — like New York, California, and Texas — are home to some of the most famous gyms in the world. These states consistently lead the pack for the most number of gyms, with California having the most.

Speaking of robust economies, the fitness club industry offers more than simply a place to get your pump on. It also employs around 823,652 people, with industry revenue of over $30 billion in the U.S. alone. (11)(12)

Boutique Fitness Membership Statistics

For some, going to a large corporate gym can make you feel like a small fish in a big pond. It can be especially overwhelming if you’re new to the gym and have specific fitness goals you’re trying to reach. If you’re looking for more than the average gym with crowded spaces and fitness influencers filming videos, a boutique studio might be your spot.

Boutique fitness studios are generally smaller gyms, often offering specific niche workouts, such as Pilates, HIIT, or barre. (Although the formats are endless — I’m tempted to try something like aqua jogging or Kangoo Jumps with spring-loaded shoes.) 

BarBend’s Jake Herod performing a plank in the BarBend gym.

Class sizes are usually smaller (around 20), and you can expect a higher instructor-to-member ratio. (13) You’ll also find convenient features, like class management software to help reserve a spot, track your workouts, or stay up-to-date on cancellations or announcements. 

In 2022, the Boutique fitness industry was valued at $48 billion, and it accounts for 42% of all gyms in the US. (13)(14) Names like Pure Barre, Orange Theory, F45, and SoulCycle have built cult-like followings with super-niche workouts and amazing brand identity. 

Member retention is notoriously high in boutique studios like these. In fact, the gym membership retention rate of group exercise studios is an astonishing 73%, according to the Association of Fitness Studios, meaning those who attend group fitness classes are less likely to cancel their memberships. (15)

Boutique fitness studios offer a premium, more personalized workout, but be prepared to shell out a higher monthly cost than you would at an average gym. The average membership at a boutique fitness studio is $125 per month, whereas traditional gyms cost an average of $58 per month. (2)(13)

But many members are happy to pay extra for the individual attention and distinct atmosphere that boutique studios can offer. 

[Related: Working Out In Groups Improves Quality of Life]

The Cost of a Gym Membership

Forking over your hard-earned income these days isn’t easy — especially if it’s going towards something you don’t always want to do. Given the rising prices of, well, everything, it’s fair to be picky about where your money goes.

A 2022 study showed that 35% of respondents chose their gym because of how low the membership fee was. (9) The fitness market is keen on this, which is how fitness centers like 24 Hour Fitness, Anytime Fitness, Crunch Fitness, and Planet Fitness capture new gym members (although most offer more expensive membership levels with added perks).

A BarBend tester putting the REP Fitness Leather Lifting Belt to the test.

While many health and fitness clubs use low-pricing to bring in new gym members, others, like Lifetime and LA Fitness, stay steady in the mid-pricing range. The average gym member’s annual income in the U.S. is $75,000, and a 2020 study showed that Americans spent around $286 per month on health and fitness. (16)(17)

Leading fitness club operators make roughly $793.40 per member each year, but that’s not to say the gym members got their money’s worth out of their membership. (18) According to research, Americans potentially wasted a staggering $1.3 billion on unused gym memberships in 2021. (5) In fairness, though, COVID-19 American gym fears likely had an impact on gym attendance.

Yes, gym membership costs can be hard to stomach if you don’t enjoy working out. For others, the commitment of time — and motivation — is harder than the financial obligation. Let’s discuss some gym member habits.

Gym Member Habits 

Examining member habits can give gym owners an upper hand in attracting new members and minimizing membership cancellation. Let’s look at some gym membership demographics of age groups and gender.

What age group rules the roost on the gym floor? Millennials? Gen Z? According to a report from the IHRSA, American gym members between the ages of 18 to 34 make up the same percentage of gym members between 35 to 54 — 31%. (19)

If you’re thinking about gearing your marketing towards males, think again. A 2020 study from IHRSA shows that over half of gym members (50.5%) were female. (16) You’ve heard the early bird gets the worm and gymgoers must know this because 38% crush HIIT cardio workouts and pump iron between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. (20)

According to a Statista study, 38% of gym members go to the gym to use equipment like free weights and machines. (20) If we do the math, that must mean 62% of people go for something else. (This offers more evidence that offerings like personal trainers and group fitness classes are important to the average gym member.)

How Often Do People Use Their Gym Memberships?

We’ve covered what percentage of Americans go to the gym, but how often do they go? Studies suggest that once-a-weekers are only 16.34% of members, while 63.3% go to the gym at least twice a week. (5)(16)

If we haven’t already made the case for group exercise, here’s another one. A Nielsen study found that 85% of gym members visit the gym twice a week and 43% visit four times a week for group fitness classes. (21)

It’s worth noting, though, that gym closures during lockdown sparked a rise in the best fitness apps, virtual sessions with personal trainers, and online fitness classes. Members have more options than ever to skimp on gym attendance — even if they’re not ready to cancel their membership. Some savvy fitness facilities have bundled online offerings into their memberships to give virtual offerings to their members.

Why People Join a Gym 

There are many reasons why people join a gym — most pointing to the aspiration of improving some part of their lives. According to a recent study from Statista, 44% join a gym to stay in shape, 42% to maintain a healthy lifestyle, 34% to get stronger and build muscle, and 33% to help them with weight loss. (20)

While most fitness goals are correlated to physical activity, some go beyond muscles and weight loss. The social aspect can also play an important role in overall wellness — both physically and mentally. The same Statista study shows that 31% join for fun, 28% for mental health reasons, and 28% to make new friends. (20)

Group fitness classes for certain age groups — focusing on exercises for seniors, for example — can provide a place of community and social connection, which can be a driver for member retention.

Jake Herod jumping rope in the BarBend gym.

If you’re intimidated by the prospect of joining a gym, BarBend editor Alex Polish, a certified personal trainer, has some tips on how to ease yourself in. “Never be afraid to ask for a tour at a gym — it’s someone’s job to give tours because that’s how the company makes money (by signing people up). If you’ve got social anxiety, consider bringing a buddy on the tour with you to take some pressure off. Most of the times, there will be a cardio section with treadmills and probably some ellipticals and stair climbers, and a weights section with dumbbells, benches, and possibly Smith machines and squat racks.”

They continue, “If you’re still getting the lay of the land, hop onto a treadmill and walk, using the time to survey the rest of the gym to get yourself comfortable. Even if it might not look that way at every gym, know that everyone can use all sections — muscled dudes can and do use treadmills, femme women can and do use heavy weights, and nonbinary folks can and do use both sections, too. Just bring a towel or take note of where your gym keeps spray bottles and paper towels to wipe down your benches or cardio equipment after each use.”

Global Gym Statistics

The global fitness market was valued at $96.7 billion in 2019, with over 205,000 gyms worldwide. It’s projected to continue growing. (11) 

Aside from the U.S., Europe has the most health and fitness clubs, with a reported 63,633 gyms and over 39 million gym memberships. (11) The United Kingdom and Germany have a high density of gyms and fitness centers, and a steadily growing interest in health and wellness. (22) Countries like Brazil have also seen considerable growth in fitness facilities over the last decade, showing that the global interest in health and wellness is increasing. 

COVID-19 gym membership retention undoubtedly affected the global number of gymgoers, but there remains approximately 185 million people who have a gym membership worldwide. (11)

Gym Ownership Statistics

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a fitness business, you might be curious about fitness industry statistics, specifically with gym ownership. Is gym ownership actually worth it?

To start a U.S. gym, you can expect to spend around $50,000 for the initial start-up. (23) Costs might include a website, gym equipment, business registration fees, marketing, employee onboarding, and legal contracts. This number doesn’t include ongoing costs like rent, insurance, utilities, gym management software, and employee payroll.

A set of adjustable dumbbells.

Depending on the size of your fitness center and how many employees you have, payroll can look very different from gym to gym. The annual mean wage of gym employees is $43,400 and the annual mean wage of CEOs comes in just shy of $150,000 per year. (24) In addition to employee payroll, operating costs can be steep. In 2020, American gyms reported an average of $23,771 in expenses in just one quarter of business. (25)

Understanding gym membership equilibrium can help keep your fitness business profitable as you attract new members and handle membership cancellations. Successful health clubs have a strong understanding of their market size, key demographics, and how to harness gym membership retention.

Final Word

Global gym memberships are in the millions, but not everyone with a membership is sweating it out on a treadmill or elliptical. Understanding the habits of gym members, key demographics, why people join a gym, and how to master member retention are all powerful tools for the success of a gym.

Even for those who stocked up on the best home gym equipment during the lockdowns, the community aspect of the physical gym seems to have a draw and appeal for some that can’t compare to a fitness app or piece of home equipment.

Gym Membership Statistics FAQs

References

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Andre, L. (2024, July 24). The fitness industry was one of the hardest-hit sectors when the COVID-19 pandemic forced many businesses to s. Financesonline.com. https://financesonline.com/gym-membership-statistics/

Sperandei, S., Vieira, M. C., & Reis, A. C. (2016). Adherence to physical activity in an unsupervised setting: Explanatory variables for high attrition rates among fitness center members. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 19(11), 916–920. 

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