Gyms and fitness studios in North Carolina: 1,757 locations, +2.9% jobs
Official counts for gyms and fitness studios in North Carolina, 2026 Q1: how many there are, whether they are adding jobs, what they pay, and how North Carolina compares with the other states. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, refreshed each quarter.
North Carolina against the country · 2026 Q1
| North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Gyms and fitness studios with employees | 1,757 | 47,160 |
| Per 100,000 residents | 15.9 | 13.9 |
| Jobs | 25,885 | 674,922 |
| Jobs, year over year | +2.9% | +4.0% |
| Locations, year over year | +8.9% | +4.0% |
| Average weekly wage | $354 | $443 |
| Rank among states, density | 11 of 50 | |
| Rank among states, job growth | 27 of 50 |
What the numbers say
North Carolina has 1,757 gyms and fitness studios with payroll, employing 25,885 people. At 15.9 per 100,000 residents the market is close to the national average, number 11 among the 50 states with published data. Jobs grew +2.9% over the year, behind the national +4.0%. Locations grew faster than jobs, which usually means more and smaller operators entering: the kind of market where the cheapest service gets crowded first.
Average pay at gyms and fitness studios in North Carolina is $354 a week, 20% below the national figure of $443. Budget labor from this number, not from a national guide.
Over five years, from 2021 to 2025, the number of gyms and fitness studios in North Carolina moved +8.6%, from 1,527 to 1,658.
Gyms and fitness studios in North Carolina, annual average
- 20211,527
- 20221,659
- 20231,775
- 20241,741
- 20251,658
Jobs at gyms and fitness studios in North Carolina
- 202120,532
- 202223,375
- 202326,200
- 202426,782
- 202527,225
What counts as "gyms and fitness studios" here
Fitness and recreational sports centers: gyms, health clubs, yoga and pilates studios, boxing and CrossFit boxes, and other facilities for exercise. The code is NAICS 713940. BLS counts establishments that report payroll, so a one-person business with no employees is not in these figures; in trades with many solo operators the true number of businesses is higher.
Before you open one in North Carolina
A statewide figure tells you which way the wind blows. It does not tell you whether the corner you are looking at has the households, the income and the gap in competition to support one more. A counts the gyms and fitness studios within reach of one address in North Carolina, reads the county trend from the same BLS table, and scores the plan. The saturation check does a city-level version for free.
Questions people ask
How many gyms and fitness studios are there in North Carolina?
BLS counted 1,757 gyms and fitness studios with employees in North Carolina in 2026 Q1, employing 25,885 people. Owner-only businesses with no payroll are not in that count. That is 15.9 per 100,000 residents, against 13.9 nationally.
Are gyms and fitness studios growing in North Carolina?
Yes. Jobs at gyms and fitness studios in North Carolina changed +2.9% over the year to 2026 Q1, and the number of locations changed +8.9%. That ranks North Carolina 27 of 50 states for job growth in this business type. Over five years the location count moved +8.6%.
Is North Carolina a crowded market for gyms and fitness studios?
North Carolina has 15.9 gyms and fitness studios per 100,000 residents, close to the national average, ranking 11 of 50 states. Density is a statewide average; a Neur report counts the competitors around one address.
Gyms and fitness studios in every state
Densest first. The number is gyms and fitness studios per 100,000 residents in 2026 Q1.
Other business types in North Carolina
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private sector, NAICS 713940, 2026 Q1 (quarterly) and annual averages (five-year series); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year population estimates. This page is generated from those feeds and rewritten when a new quarter publishes. All 14 business types in North Carolina · Growth ranking for North Carolina · Gyms and fitness studios by state