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 San Antonio — 75% average survivability
- 7 of 11 analyzed US metros score above 70% for Gym survivability
- The lowest-ranked city is Charlotte at 64%
- National average survivability score for Gym: 71.4%
- Data reflects 2026 StreetSpring survivability analysis across 11 US metro areas · Full methodology →
Table of Contents
- Summary
- Top Cities for Gyms
- Key Insights
- What Makes These Cities Stand Out?
- 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 Gym?
Summary
According to StreetSpring's 2026 nationwide analysis, San Antonio ranks as the #1 city for opening a Gym in the United States, with an average 75% chance of surviving more than 2 years. Following close behind are Chicago with 75%, and Tampa Bay with 74%. Gyms consistently deliver a 71.4% survivability average across our 11 analyzed metros, with top-ranked San Antonio demonstrating the strongest conditions. That said, city averages don't tell the whole story — there are standout locations even in areas that appear less suitable at first glance. These rankings reflect data through early 2026 — check StreetSpring for the latest figures before any location decision.
Survivability ranges reflect best and worst storefront conditions within each city. See our full methodology →
Gym city survivability rankings — San Antonio leads among 11 US metros at 75% in 2026
Top 10 Cities for Gyms
Based on StreetSpring's analysis of 11 major metropolitan areas, these cities offer the strongest prospects for Gyms:
1. San Antonio
- Best locations: 80.9% – 88.0%
- Average locations: 71.5% – 76.6%
- Challenging locations: 45.0% – 66.1%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in San Antonio →
2. Chicago
- Best locations: 81.7% – 90.0%
- Average locations: 71.4% – 76.8%
- Challenging locations: 45.0% – 66.0%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Chicago →
3. Tampa Bay
- Best locations: 80.5% – 88.0%
- Average locations: 70.5% – 76.0%
- Challenging locations: 42.0% – 64.7%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Tampa Bay →
4. Portland
- Best locations: 80.5% – 89.0%
- Average locations: 70.5% – 75.4%
- Challenging locations: 48.0% – 65.9%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Portland →
5. Philadelphia
- Best locations: 80.8% – 90.0%
- Average locations: 70.0% – 75.3%
- Challenging locations: 46.0% – 65.1%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Philadelphia →
6. San Diego
- Best locations: 79.8% – 89.0%
- Average locations: 68.4% – 74.3%
- Challenging locations: 40.0% – 62.6%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in San Diego →
7. St Louis
- Best locations: 80.3% – 92.0%
- Average locations: 66.7% – 73.3%
- Challenging locations: 37.0% – 60.6%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in St Louis →
8. Denver
- Best locations: 78.5% – 89.0%
- Average locations: 66.9% – 72.2%
- Challenging locations: 45.0% – 62.4%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Denver →
9. Atlanta
- Best locations: 77.7% – 88.0%
- Average locations: 65.3% – 71.6%
- Challenging locations: 36.0% – 59.3%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Atlanta →
10. Baltimore
- Best locations: 76.5% – 87.0%
- Average locations: 64.9% – 70.2%
- Challenging locations: 43.0% – 60.4%
- Explore Gym neighborhoods in Baltimore →
Key Insights
Wide variation between cities: The difference between the #1 city (San Antonio at 75.1%) and the #10 city (Baltimore at 67.9%) is 7.2 percentage points. This 0.1-point variation between the #1 and #2 cities is below average for the category, suggesting that Gyms are particularly responsive to local market conditions.
National average: Across all 11 analyzed cities, the average survivability for a Gym is 71.4%.
What Makes These Cities Stand Out?
The top-ranked cities share several characteristics that favor Gyms:
- Strong survivability signals: San Antonio leads with a 75% 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.
Our analysis draws on millions of commercial real estate data points to deliver survivability predictions trusted by professionals nationwide. We have been studying the businesses serving more than 195 million Americans. Every score is produced by our in-house models, continuously refined against real-world business outcomes.
Related Resources
City-specific guides: For detailed neighborhood-level analysis, explore our city guides:
- Survivability Rankings for Gym in San Antonio
- Business Survivability Rankings: San Antonio
- Survivability Rankings for Gym in Chicago
- Business Survivability Rankings: Chicago
- Survivability Rankings for Gym in Tampa Bay
- Business Survivability Rankings: Tampa Bay
- Survivability Rankings for Gym in Portland
- Business Survivability Rankings: Portland
- Survivability Rankings for Gym in Philadelphia
- Business Survivability Rankings: Philadelphia
National guides:
- National Neighborhood Survivability Rankings for Gyms
- Neighborhood Survivability Rankings: San Antonio
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 11 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 →
Which US city has the best survivability for Gym?
San Antonio ranks as the #1 city in the US for Gym survivability in StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, with an average score of 75%. This means that across well-selected neighborhoods in San Antonio, a Gym has approximately a 75% chance of still operating after two years — above the national average for this category. Chicago ranks second, followed by Tampa Bay. The full ranking reflects data across 11 major US metro areas — see the complete list above for all scores and neighborhood-level links.
Technical note: Aggregated national survivability rankings across all 25 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 11 major US metropolitan areas: San Antonio, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Portland, Philadelphia, San Diego, St Louis, Denver, Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte.