- In the U.S., gym memberships average out to about 1,500 members per fitness facility.
- An individual gym’s profitability depends on its overhead and membership fees.
- There are many ways to increase your gym’s membership numbers.
Whether your gym is just starting out or has been around for years, it’s natural to wonder how you stack up against the competition. How many members does the average gym have? If your gym has 100 members, or 300, or maybe even 1,000, how do you know when you’ve “made it”?
While it’s tempting to get caught up in the numbers, your gym’s membership count isn’t the only thing to consider. A fitness center’s profitability also hinges on other factors, such as its location, its debt load, and whether it maximizes the efficiency of its operations with gym management software. Even so, at the end of the day, most people still want to know — how many members does a gym need to be successful?
Exercise.com can help boost your gym’s profitability. Book a demo to find out more.
How many members does the average gym have?
On average, 1,500 members per gym.
According to Statista, the U.S. has 41,000 membership-based fitness centers, and these combine for a total of 64.19 million members. That averages out to about 1,500 per fitness center. Reality doesn’t always line up with neat averages, however, and there is a lot of individual variation that contributes to that number. For example, Franchise Chatter states the average Planet Fitness has 6,000 members.
How many members does a gym need to be successful?
Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all number here. To estimate how many members your gym needs, divide your monthly overhead costs by the price of a membership. You may be surprised by the results.
For example, if Gym A is very expensive to run, it may lose money despite having a huge number of members. Conversely, Gym B may have very few members, but if its overhead is low, it will still be successful. Run the numbers on your own gym to get a rough idea of the membership numbers you need to reach in order for your business to be profitable.
Book a demo to learn more
Exercise.com can help increase the profitability of your gym
How can I increase my gym’s memberships?
If your gym hasn’t quite reached that magic profitability threshold yet, there are many ways to increase memberships at your gym. Some are simple, others are more outside the box, but all are worth trying.
- Offer niche services (such as weightlifting for seniors or outdoor boot camps for members and their dogs)
- Explore clever advertising campaigns for your gym
- Give perks to members who refer friends and family
- Cater to convenience by moving your classes online with a website or custom fitness app
- Optimize your income from the members you already have by offering premium services, such as personal training packages and nutrition counseling
The Bottom Line: How many members does my gym need?
Gym membership statistics may show that 1,500 members are average for a fitness center in the U.S., but if your gym is working with smaller numbers, that doesn’t mean profitability is out of reach. Focus on improving your unique fitness business, and the income will follow. And if you’d like to spend less time managing your gym operations and more time with your members, Exercise.com can help. Book a demo to learn more.