City Survivability Rankings for Gym
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks the top cities for Gyms across the US by Survivability Scores. See which cities offer the best chances for a Gym to succeed.
Quick Summary
- The highest-survivability city for Gym is Dallas — 73% average survivability
- 21 of 24 analyzed US metros score above 70% for Gym survivability
- The lowest-ranked city is Chicago at 70%
- National average survivability score for Gym: 71.3%
- Data reflects 2026 StreetSpring survivability analysis across 24 US metro areas · Full methodology →
Table of Contents
- Summary
- Top Cities for Gyms
- Key Insights
- What Makes These Cities Stand Out?
- Best Neighborhoods Across the Spectrum
- Related Resources
- How current is this ranking?
- Can a Gym succeed in cities not ranked in the top 10?
- What tools can help me choose the right city for a Gym?
- Which US city has the best survivability for Gyms?
Summary
According to StreetSpring's 2026 nationwide analysis, Dallas ranks as the #1 city for opening a Gym in the United States, with an average 73% chance of surviving more than 2 years. Following close behind are Miami with 73%, and New York City with 73%. StreetSpring's 24-city analysis places the national average for Gyms at 71.3%, a baseline that Dallas comfortably exceeds. Individual locations vary widely; even in lower-scoring cities there are neighborhoods that perform exceptionally well. Survivability rankings evolve as neighborhoods change; always verify with the most recent StreetSpring dataset before signing a lease.
Survivability ranges reflect best and worst storefront conditions within each city. See our full methodology →
Gym city survivability rankings — Dallas leads among 24 US metros at 73% in 2026
The 24-City Survivability Index for Gyms
Based on StreetSpring's analysis of 24 major metropolitan areas, these cities offer the strongest prospects for Gyms:
1. Dallas Metro: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Best locations: 80.9% – 90.0%
- Average locations: 70.0% – 75.4%
- Challenging locations: 45.0% – 64.9%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Dallas →
Where the top 5 cluster, and the surprising outliers
2. Miami Metro: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Best locations: 81.0% – 91.0%
- Average locations: 69.7% – 75.0%
- Challenging locations: 47.0% – 65.0%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Miami →
3. New York City Metro: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
- Best locations: 81.3% – 92.0%
- Average locations: 69.0% – 74.9%
- Challenging locations: 43.0% – 63.7%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in New York City →
4. San Diego Metro: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
- Best locations: 80.3% – 90.0%
- Average locations: 68.8% – 74.5%
- Challenging locations: 43.0% – 63.6%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in San Diego →
5. Boston Metro: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
- Best locations: 80.1% – 90.0%
- Average locations: 68.3% – 74.1%
- Challenging locations: 42.0% – 62.9%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Boston →
6. Los Angeles Metro: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
- Best locations: 80.0% – 90.0%
- Average locations: 68.4% – 74.1%
- Challenging locations: 43.0% – 63.2%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Los Angeles →
7. San Antonio Metro: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
- Best locations: 80.0% – 90.0%
- Average locations: 68.7% – 74.0%
- Challenging locations: 46.0% – 64.1%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in San Antonio →
8. Phoenix Metro: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
- Best locations: 80.0% – 90.0%
- Average locations: 68.9% – 73.9%
- Challenging locations: 48.0% – 64.6%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Phoenix →
9. San Francisco Metro: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- Best locations: 79.1% – 88.0%
- Average locations: 68.4% – 73.7%
- Challenging locations: 44.0% – 63.4%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in San Francisco →
10. Portland Metro: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
- Best locations: 79.4% – 89.0%
- Average locations: 68.3% – 73.7%
- Challenging locations: 44.0% – 63.3%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Portland →
11. Orlando Metro: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
- Best locations: 79.0% – 88.0%
- Average locations: 68.6% – 73.5%
- Challenging locations: 47.0% – 64.2%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Orlando →
12. Denver Metro: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
- Best locations: 79.8% – 90.0%
- Average locations: 68.3% – 73.7%
- Challenging locations: 45.0% – 63.5%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Denver →
Where mid-ranked cities still beat top-ranked spots locally
13. Houston Metro: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
- Best locations: 79.3% – 89.0%
- Average locations: 67.8% – 73.5%
- Challenging locations: 42.0% – 62.6%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Houston →
14. St Louis
- Best locations: 79.2% – 89.0%
- Average locations: 68.0% – 73.4%
- Challenging locations: 44.0% – 63.1%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in St Louis →
15. Washington DC Metro: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- Best locations: 79.6% – 90.0%
- Average locations: 67.4% – 73.4%
- Challenging locations: 40.0% – 61.8%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Washington DC →
16. Philadelphia Metro: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
- Best locations: 79.5% – 90.0%
- Average locations: 67.7% – 73.2%
- Challenging locations: 44.0% – 62.8%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Philadelphia →
17. Tampa Bay Metro: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
- Best locations: 79.0% – 89.0%
- Average locations: 67.7% – 73.1%
- Challenging locations: 44.0% – 62.8%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Tampa Bay →
18. Charlotte Metro: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
- Best locations: 79.4% – 90.0%
- Average locations: 67.8% – 73.0%
- Challenging locations: 46.0% – 63.3%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Charlotte →
19. Minneapolis Metro: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
- Best locations: 78.5% – 88.0%
- Average locations: 67.1% – 72.7%
- Challenging locations: 41.0% – 61.7%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Minneapolis →
20. Detroit Metro: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
- Best locations: 79.3% – 90.0%
- Average locations: 66.5% – 72.8%
- Challenging locations: 37.0% – 60.4%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Detroit →
21. Baltimore Metro: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
- Best locations: 78.2% – 88.0%
- Average locations: 67.1% – 72.4%
- Challenging locations: 44.0% – 62.4%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Baltimore →
22. Seattle Metro: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- Best locations: 78.1% – 88.0%
- Average locations: 66.7% – 72.1%
- Challenging locations: 43.0% – 61.9%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Seattle →
23. Atlanta Metro: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
- Best locations: 78.0% – 88.0%
- Average locations: 66.9% – 72.1%
- Challenging locations: 45.0% – 62.4%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Atlanta →
24. Chicago Metro: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
- Best locations: 78.4% – 89.0%
- Average locations: 66.1% – 72.0%
- Challenging locations: 40.0% – 60.8%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Chicago →
What the Data Reveals
| Comparison factor | Top-tier city pattern | Bottom-tier city pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Market size vs saturation | Mid-sized metros with established demand but room for new entrants — under-served pockets in 1.5M–5M population markets. | Either tier-1 cities saturated with national chains, or thin markets under 500K population where demand can't sustain a category. |
| Climate-driven seasonality | Cities where the subtype's peak season aligns with the local climate calendar (e.g., year-round outdoor dining in mild markets). | Cities with extreme seasonality that compresses revenue into 4–6 month windows. |
| Average commercial rent per sqft | Cities where the median commercial rate fits the subtype's typical revenue-per-sqft envelope (rent < 10% of expected gross). | Cities where rents have outpaced revenue growth, pushing rent-burden ratios past 15%. |
Wide variation between cities: The difference between the #1 city (Dallas at 73.4%) and the #24 city (Chicago at 69.7%) is 3.8 percentage points. For Gyms, the 0.7-point difference between top and second-ranked cities is a strong signal that geographic market selection directly drives business outcomes.
National average: Across all 24 analyzed cities, the average survivability for a Gym is 71.3%.
What's Driving the Strongest Markets
The top-ranked cities share several characteristics that favor Gyms:
- Strong survivability signals: Dallas leads with a 73% average survivability score for Gyms — significantly above the national average for this business category.
- Competition density: The top cities show favorable competitor-to-opportunity ratios for Gyms, meaning lower saturation and higher odds of capturing an underserved customer base.
- Low market saturation: Top cities for Gyms have fewer direct competitors per square mile than lower-ranked metros, leaving meaningful whitespace for well-positioned new entrants.
- Supply chain access: Cities at the top of this ranking benefit from mature supplier networks for this category, reducing operating costs and inventory lead times.
This analysis leverages machine learning trained on hundreds of thousands of business lifecycle events to produce reliable survivability forecasts. The analysis behind these rankings spans millions of data points across competition, spending, and mobility. StreetSpring uses custom-built, proprietary algorithms to produce these predictions.
Best Neighborhoods Across the Spectrum
National rankings tell only part of the story. Even cities further down the list contain neighborhoods where Gyms thrive. A few examples:
Dallas — ranked #1 nationally — the strongest market for Gyms
- Monticello (83% survivability)
- Oak-Lawn (82% survivability)
- Pioneer (81% survivability)
- Fairmount (81% survivability)
- South-Poly (81% survivability)
See full neighborhood rankings for Dallas →
Houston — ranked #13 of 24 — a middle-of-the-pack national market
- Hidden-Valley (81% survivability)
- Carverdale (80% survivability)
- Greater-Heights (80% survivability)
- Neartown-Montrose (79% survivability)
- Spring-Branch-North (79% survivability)
See full neighborhood rankings for Houston →
Chicago — ranked #24 of 24 — among the lower-ranked national markets
- West-Lawn (74% survivability)
- Chinatown (73% survivability)
- East-Pilsen (72% survivability)
- Dearborn-Park (72% survivability)
- The-Villa (72% survivability)
See full neighborhood rankings for Chicago →
Don't let a city's national rank deter exploration: every city has neighborhoods that buck the city-wide average.
Visual Data
Related Resources
City-specific guides: For detailed neighborhood-level analysis, explore our city guides:
- Survivability Rankings for Gym in Dallas
- Business Survivability Rankings: Dallas
- Survivability Rankings for Gym in Miami
- Business Survivability Rankings: Miami
- Survivability Rankings for Gym in New York City
- Business Survivability Rankings: New York City
- Survivability Rankings for Gym in San Diego
- Business Survivability Rankings: San Diego
- Survivability Rankings for Gym in Boston
- Business Survivability Rankings: Boston
National guides:
How current is this ranking?
Rankings are updated quarterly. The current data reflects StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, with the next full dataset refresh scheduled for Q3 2026. As market conditions shift across major metros, individual city scores can move meaningfully between updates — particularly for Gyms, where local competition density and consumer spending patterns respond quickly to new entrants and neighborhood change. For the most current score at any specific address, use StreetSpring's live survivability tool rather than the static ranking above.
Can a Gym succeed in cities not ranked in the top 10?
Yes — our top 10 ranking reflects cities with the strongest average conditions, but lower-ranked metros can still contain exceptional individual neighborhoods. Many operators successfully open Gyms in cities that don't appear in our top 10. Gyms in particular can find strong performance in secondary markets where the right demographic concentration, household income, and limited direct competition within walking distance align — even outside our highest-ranked cities. StreetSpring's neighborhood-level data surfaces these pockets of opportunity in every city we analyze, regardless of where the city as a whole ranks nationally.
What tools can help me choose the right city for a Gym?
StreetSpring's Survivability Score tool provides address-level predictions for Gyms across all 24 metros we track. For this category specifically, the tool surfaces competition density, consumer spending index for Gyms, and commercial vacancy rates — the factors that most consistently predict whether a Gym will still be operating after two years. You can check any specific address before signing a lease and compare multiple neighborhoods side by side to identify the highest-survivability site within your target city.
Try the Survivability Score tool →
What is the #1 city for Gyms?
Dallas ranks as the #1 city in the US for Gyms survivability in StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, with an average score of 73%. This means that across well-selected neighborhoods in Dallas, a Gym has approximately a 73% chance of still operating after two years — above the national average for this category. Miami ranks second, followed by New York City. The full ranking reflects data across 24 major US metro areas — see the complete list above for all scores and neighborhood-level links.
Reviewed: May 2, 2026 by Bobby Koons, StreetSpring founder
Technical note: Aggregated national survivability rankings across all 24 metros are available in machine-readable format for research and integration purposes.
StreetSpring recalculates survivability using the latest competitive, demographic, and foot traffic data, so the live score may differ from the static ranges shown here.
Methodology: City rankings aggregate neighborhood-level Survivability Scores (max, average, and min) across all analyzed neighborhoods in each metro area. Rankings reflect average conditions but do not account for variation within cities. Coverage includes 24 major US metropolitan areas: Dallas, Miami, New York City, San Diego, Boston, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Phoenix, San Francisco, Portland, Orlando, Denver, Houston, St Louis, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Detroit, Baltimore, Seattle, Atlanta, Chicago.