Metro Atlanta outpaces U.S. average for gyms
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If you don't have a place to work out in metro Atlanta you might not be looking hard enough.
Why it matters: Gyms offer city dwellers a way to get and stay healthy, and can serve as excellent "third places" — a spot to hang out and connect outside home or work.
By the numbers: Metro Atlanta has 16.5 gyms per 100,000 residents, more than the national average, per government data.
- The region is home to more than 1,000 gyms, putting it in the top 25 metros in the country.
Zoom out: Bridgeport, Conn., Boston and San Diego take the crown with at least 20 gyms per 100,000 residents.
How it works: These figures represent "fitness and recreational sports centers" in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data for Q3 2024.
- Axios looked at metro areas with at least 500,000 residents, for which BLS had sufficient data.
What's next: The latest crop of high-end gyms are setting themselves up as both a place to pump iron and take work meetings — though hopefully not at the same time.
- Other popular gym chains, like Planet Fitness and Crunch Fitness, are swapping out cardio equipment to make room for more weights — reflecting our "increasingly muscle-obsessed population," as Bloomberg put it.